


Hyrule-Bound  (Prologue)

by themisadventurescrew



Series: Hyrule-Bound, But Never Found [1]
Category: Creepypasta - Fandom, Legend of Zelda
Genre: A Link Between Worlds, AT - Freeform, Creepypasta, Dark World, Four Swords, Hyrule warriors - Freeform, Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time, Other, Phantom Hourglass, SO, Skyward Sword, Spirit Tracks, Tata - Freeform, Tetraforce, Triforce, Triforce Heroes, Twilight Princess, Wind Waker, and they are nothing like the lu bois, breath of the wild - Freeform, but not just them, check me out on tumblr, creation era, cuz tumblr mobile fucking sucks, enjoy the bullshit, era of restoration, finally fucking put it on here, four swords adventures, i got a lot more shit on there, is msatc's new name, it's canonical to msatc, it's not linked universe, its a creepypasta au technically, like at all, links across eras meet, my other series, plus art, tata au, the minish cap, themisadventurescrew, time and time again, yeah - Freeform, yes - Freeform, zelda i, zelda ii
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 26
Words: 76,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22011838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themisadventurescrew/pseuds/themisadventurescrew
Summary: Another lovely Legend of Zelda AU where heroes and peeps from various Eras meet.There seems to be something darker at work that is ripping these people from their homes and forcing them together and apart. It seems to be trying to find someone....or something.Are they made to be people, or weapons?The only thing to be sure of, though...Is that no one should be trusted.
Series: Hyrule-Bound, But Never Found [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1584427
Comments: 22
Kudos: 42





	1. The New Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hero of Time arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins.
> 
> Enjoy my Lovely Proxies~!!!

_“You’re the fairy boy who helped Miss Malon, aren’t you?” **  
**_

_“I’m the Princess of the Gerudo, Zorana Nabirisae Dragmire. You can just call me Zorana, though.”_

_“How exactly did a young boy like you get into the Gerudo Fortress so easily?_

_“I’ll be your big sister!! I’ve never had a brother before!”_

_“You’ve….certainly come a long way since you first came to visit me….”_

_**“Court me?!** You mean….”_

_“Then you can be my King….right?”_

_What’s happening? Why is the ground shaking…._

“Hey. Dead guy.” A high, almost shaky voice seems to almost echo in the air.

_Who is that? Where am I?_

_“Are you alive?” There’s someone there….Who are you?_

“Name’s Link. Are you alright?” The shaky voice seemed to laugh a bit in their response.

_Link….But my name’s Link._

“Yeah….figured as much. Something really weird’s happened…so you might wanna stop being dead pretty soon.”

Bright light blinded the hero’s eyes. “Shit… W…where am I?” He attempts to push himself upwards, but the ground spins as he moves.

“Hey, be careful. You had a pretty shit landing.” A different voice sounds, low and almost a growl, and hands ease him to sit up.

“What Era do you think he’s from, Gloam?” A third voice, this one sounds tired, and strained.

“Oh, I know exactly what Era he’s from.” The second voice, apparently belonging to ‘Gloam’, answers the third. “He’s from the Era of the Hero of Time.”

Blue eyes finally focus, bringing into his line of sight 3 figures.

The first was the one closest to him, a very large man with medium length brown hair, that seemed to shine with red in the sunlight. He was tan, a high-collared shirt left his arms bare, and the sheen of a silver sword winked at the Hero of Time from the man’s back. Around his neck was a heavy-looking metal shackle, with odd markings, and 3 chain links visible on the shackle, from the front and sides. The man spoke, which allowed the Hero of Time to realize this was Gloam.

“Are you alright, Link?” The others present seem to cringe slightly when he said the name, causing Link confusion, but he nodded, turning his head to regard the others better. The man beside him spoke.

“Waiiittt….so this is your…” Gloam raised a hand, signaling for the other man to be silent.

“Don’t say anything about that, Sean. Let’s let him get his bearings before we dump that on him, please. Link….that man right there,” Gloam points at the man beside Link, “is Sean. And the man over there, with the very… _colorful…_ cape…is Four.”

Sean was a rather short and skinny man, and seemed to be a bit younger than the other two. His white-blonde hair was cut very short, shaved on the sides, and his eyes seemed to be two different colors. His face was covered in freckles, and quite a few piercings were present in his ears. He had a bow pulled over his torso, the wood a dark color, with a green sash tied to the end, and a dagger peaked from the belt at his waist. His clothing was very odd to Link. It seemed to be skintight, bearing the Sheikah symbol, and for some reason…. _It was bright pink._

The third man, who was still standing a short ways in front of the trio, bowed. “Four, Hero of the Four Sword. Hello, Link. We might need to figure out a nickname for you….all three of us are also called Link. Sean was a lucky case, since he already had another name to go by.” The man was maybe a few inches shorter than Sean, and had a bobbed haircuit that was cut rather short in the back, and became longer in the front. He wore a simple green tunic, with a colorful cape draped over his arm, held there by a golden chain, with a small purple feather hanging off the chain. The cape was divided into four, with very detailed embroidery of four different flowers. He rested his hand against the sword at his right hip casually, and Link noticed he had a very small black charm hanging from the bracelet on his wrist.

“You think you can stand? Our camp isn’t very far.” Gloam stands, extending a hand to help him up. He takes it, swaying a bit when he stands. Gloam places his hands on Link’s shoulders, helping to steady him. “Come on.” He pulls Link’s arm over his shoulder, allowing him to lean against him as they walk.

“Damn, that bump is pretty big. Must have caught a rock when you landed.” Link hisses a bit as Gloam pressed a wet cloth against his head. Gloam chuckles. “Sorry. So…any idea what we should call you yet? Some of the others should be back soon.”

“Others?” Link stared at Gloam in confusion.

“Oh yeah…There’s…uh, shit how many people we got so far? Not all of them are other heroes, but we got like….5 other people? Not many, but…We got Lucas, Warrior, Zoey, Tear, and Zelda. So now there’s 9 of us in total. Damn….that’s gonna suck finding rooms in some places.”

“Yeah, but I’m sure we’ll manage.” Sean shrugs, kicking his feet back and forth as he sits perched on a low-hanging branch nearby. “Still surprised the way he came out of his Gate.”

“Gate?” Link mumbles, wincing as Gloam continues to check him over for any other injuries.

“We all came here from a thing called a Gate of Souls. When the soldier gets back he can explain. Warrior, I mean. He’s dealt with these things before. So!” Gloam sits back a bit, giving Link some space.

“So…what?”

“Got a name figured out?”

“Uh….well….someone I…know. They always called ‘King’, but I feel like that’d be a bit….pretentious.”

“How about Ray, then?” Four speaks up, fiddling with the black charm on his bracelet. Link looks at him in surprise. “It means ‘king’.”

“Ray….yeah, okay. I like that…”

“Then it’s settled!” Gloam claps his hand onto the new arrival’s shoulder. “We’ll call you Ray. Not bad, I’d say.”

Ray nods, keeping his head down. Gloam, Four and Sean all share a look, Gloam shrugging.

Soon after, footsteps are heard approaching the trio’s position. “Guess they’re back.” Four hums.

 **“Hey, a new one! Ugh….now there’s 9 of us. Too many people.”** A feminine voice groans. A head of short blonde hair bounces towards Ray, leaning towards him. “So what’s your name? I’m Zelda. Yeah, yeah. The princess, blah blah blah.” She waves her hand, dark green eyes holding an annoyed look.

“Uh….Ray…I’m Ray.”

“Ray, huh? Sounds dumb. Welp. Welcome to our group of weirdos.” She gives him a two-fingered salute, before heading to the far end of the camp.

Ray gives Gloam an almost worried look, earning a laugh from the red-haired hero.

_Oh, this is not going to end well…_

_**No. It’s not.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO!  
> Hello there. I am the lovely little creator of Hyrule-Bound on tumblr. I know a number of my readers have found it difficult to read Hyrule-Bound on tumblr, because a lot of them have to use mobile, and mobile fucking sucks and screws up all my editing of the lines and dialogue. So NOW! Hyrule-Bound is being put on here!  
> I'll probably stay up all night transferring it.
> 
> My tumblr is https://themisadventurescrew.tumblr.com/ Check me out! I also have a discord server for HB. Come join the chaos sometime!
> 
> Either way....
> 
> Stay crazy, my Lovely Proxies~!!!
> 
> Creator Twitchy out~


	2. Those of the Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Those of the sky bring forth new beginnings, and new endings.

_In the beginning, there were four goddesses. Yes, four. Not three. Three of them, were the Golden Goddesses, the goddesses that **you** know.  
_

_**Din, the Goddess of Power.** _

_**Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom.** _

_**And Farore, the Goddess of Courage.** _

_The fourth was **Delilah.** The Silver Goddess. **The Goddess of Balance.**_

_Delilah was the driving force behind Creation, she was who allowed the Golden Goddesses to create the world. This force, taking the form of a silver, inverted triangle. This was called the Force of Balance._

_After the Golden Goddesses created the land, they left the world, leaving behind the holy relic usually known as the Triforce, Delilah held this relic to her bosom, blessing the land. At this moment, the Triforce was known as the Tetraforce. The True Force of Creation._

_After blessing the land, however, she pulled the Force of Balance from the middle, leaving the empty space in the center of the relic. With the Force of Balance in her palm, she split it, into the Forces of Order, and Chaos._

_She then gave life to two new beings._

_**Hylia, the White Goddess of Order.** _

_**And Fayra, the Black Goddess of Chaos.** _

_The twin goddesses were sent down to the land to help the newborn races with gaining consciences and free wills, and with learning to uphold the laws of the Golden Goddesses._

_When the first evil entered the land, this Balance was upheaved. Fayra, the pure embodiment of the Force of Chaos, rebelled against the Silver Goddess, stealing the Sword Spirit she had created for Hylia, **Ghirahim,** and absconded behind the armies of monsters the **Demon King Demise** commanded. She corrupted the Sword, and presented Demise with it. She became his lover, and together they directed these armies towards the Heavenly House where Hylia and Delilah lay. With her raw power from the Force of Chaos, she emboldened these monsters abilities, and slaughtered the very creatures she once nurtured._

_Stricken with the grief of losing one of the beings she considered a daughter, and angered by the horrific murders of the innocent peoples, she sent Hylia off on a journey, to gain the power to create a new Sword Spirit to fight the armies of darkness._

_Delilah had a warrior, one who was by her side for years after the creation of the world. He was a God of War, a Fierce Warrior. His name was **Ferox.** Delilah sent him to assist Hylia in her journey, and help her find a hero worthy of fighting by Hylia’s side in this war._

_With her own Sword Spirit, the Spirit of the Guardian’s Sword, in her hand, Delilah and Ferox went to meet Fayra in battle, hoping to stem the flow of raw power being poured into Demise’s forces. Hylia and her Chosen Hero went to fight the monsters and Demise, himself, shortly after._

**“The bow of the goddess’s wrath is bent, and the arrowtip is pointed straight at your eye. I am but the messenger of your demise, warning you so that you may make peace with your closest before you are condemned to a terrible fate.” The white-haired warrior hissed at the chaotic goddess, his breathing heavy, as he kneeled begrudgingly before her.**

**She laughed, her sword pressed to his throat. “Oh, dear little Fierce One. I am not the one who is condemned. I am simply the one who no longer wished to be confined to a pathetic Goddess of Balance’s prison of control. Now, still your tongue, warrior. Allow your last words to ones worthy of a God of War, without sullying them by continuing to chatter.” The woman’s pitch-black skin seemed to ripple as she moved to grip the sword tighter, and she ran him through.**

_Ferox was felled in battle, Delilah was gravely wounded. In a last burst of power, Delilah managed to place a powerful seal upon Fayra, condemning her to a prison until both of their own reincarnations walked the earth once more._

_Delilah sealed away Ferox’s fierce power in a Mask, and sent it away for only someone worthy of his abilities to obtain. Hylia, also gravely injured, and having lost her own warrior, ran to Delilah._

**“My dear daughter. Do not cry over my body. You still have a task to fulfill. You will be the one to defeat this wretched evil. We have sealed them away, but your evil will return sooner than we expected. But you will prevail. You have given up your immortality, I see, as have I. Well…I can only hope our new forms may meet in another Era.”**

**“What will we do, Mother? It is only a matter of time before this evil returns to ravage our land. I have sent the humans to the Sky, they have called me their Goddess. They know nothing of you! They know nothing of your sacrifice!”**

**“It is better if they do not, Hylia. Now…take Fi, and give her…her assignment. Leave me here to make peace with my conscience.”**

_The Goddess of Order sent her Sword to the land in the sky, and waited as her wounds took her form. She prayed to the Forces of Creation that her new form may be successful. And so the cycle began for her and her Hero._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_**“They’re back!”**_ Sean’s voice called from across the camp. Ray lifted his head in response, watching as Gloam stood to greet the returning members of the group.

The first to come into his view was the most shocking, sending a shiver of pure dread down his spine. A young man with fiery red hair pulled up into a short ponytail, a joyful expression on his tan face. He was definitely Gerudo, though he looked much more like those that Ray had met, unlike Gloam. His features were ones extremely familiar to Ray, though at the same time, they seemed very different from what he knew. His right shoulder had a metal shoulder piece, with a bright green sleeve. Straps connecting the front and back crossed on his chest, holding up a familiar scabbard on his back. His eyes were a bright green, which lit up when they landed on Ray.

The man bounded up to Ray, extending a hand, seemingly oblivious to near violent flinch Ray gave to his approach. “Hi there! Name’s Lucasari, but you can call me Lucas! I’m guessing the newcomer!” Ray stared at him with a confused expression, but shook his hand, trying and failing, to hide the tremors. “What’s your name? Or, nickname, I guess? I know a few of y’all are gonna have to use nicknames cause of the whole ‘hero’ thing….I’m just glad I wasn’t named after him. Maybe it’s cause I’m Gerudo? They were probably gonna name me after the Ganon guy. Really glad they didn’t though, that would have sucked.” Lucas continues to ramble, while still shaking Ray’s hand.

“Lucas! You’re gonna break the poor guy’s arm.” Four’s tired, though amused, voice, cuts through said rambling, causing Lucas to stop. He looks down at Ray’s arm, then lets go.

“Ehehe….sorry bout that. So, what did you say your name was?”

“He hasn’t said it, yet, Lucas.” Four snickers, shaking his head, before returning to polishing the sword in his lap.

“Oh right! So?” He smiles, looking at Ray expectantly.

Ray’s mouth opens and closes, but no words come out. Lucas continues to look at him, a confused expression growing on his face, before it becomes one of realization, then of horror.

“Oh, shoot! I’m so sorry! You’re probably from one of those timelines!” He quickly steps back, crossing his arms. “I’m so so sorry! I forget some of the heroes haven’t exactly had good experiences with….you know who…” He chuckles nervously, rubbing at the back of his head. “And I know I’m supposed to look a whole lot like him….even with the spirit of the hero….people still think….I’m not good, ehehe…”

This causes Ray to shake out of his stupor. “Wait….the…Spirit of the Hero? Like what Skylar would talk about…” He whispers to himself, before shaking his head. “I…I’m Ray, by the way. And….you’re one…the ‘heroes’?” He raises his hands to make air quotations.

“Yeah!” Lucas’s face lights back up, before he reaches back to grab the sword out of the scabbard on his back. A very familiar blade enters Ray’s sight. “Even got the sword!”

“The Master Sword…” His voice is back to a whisper. Before Ray can speak again, three other people quickly approached him, causing him to stumble back a bit from it suddenly becoming so crowded.

The first person his eyes landed on was a boy who seemed to be no older than 16. His hair was a pale purple color, with chaotic streaks of blue and red in the most random of places. Around his neck was a dark blue and purple scarf, the ends flapping behind him when he bounded up to Ray. He was wearing a green tunic very similar to Ray’s, with dark tan pants hanging over black boots. On his wrist was a large golden bracelet, with a purple jewel in the middle of it.

“Hi! I’m Tear.” He waves, an excited smile on his face. When he waved, Ray noticed the multiple rings on his fingers. The only finger that didn’t have a ring was his left ring finger, ironically. The rings were various styles and sizes, and looked as if they’d be uncomfortable to work with, but Tear seemed unbothered by them, and moved his hands easily a long with his speech, signing. “You’re the newest one, huh? What Era are you from? Do you know?”

Ray shook his head. “I’m…Ray. I don’t really know what you mean by Era, honestly.” He rubbed at the back of his head, taken aback by the sight of the young man. These two seemed so energetic and happy, a stark contrast to how Ray had felt as a child. _Were they both heroes? Was Tear a hero? Seems like it…_

The other two were much quieter than Tear and Lucas. One was another young man, though he seemed to be a bit older than the two before him. He wore a similar green tunic, with chainmail evident beneath it. He wore a hat similar to what Ray wore as a kid, and seemed to be a lot more tense than the others. Attached to his arm was a young woman with curly white hair, and chocolate brown eyes. She wore a black blouse with dark red pants and boots, leather holsters strapped onto her waist. Around her neck was a large blue scarf with a familiar royal crest embossed on the end. The woman waves, smiling.

“I’m Zoey. This is Warrior.” She points to the man whose arm she currently held hostage.

“He…certainly has the look of one. A soldier?” He extends a hand to Warrior, who shakes it, bowing his head slightly.

“I’m a captain, yes. Zoey is…” he grunts slightly as she grips his ear, tugging on it. He has to pull her arm down, before returning his attention to Ray. “A fellow captain. _And a damn thief._ ” He yanks the scarf off of her, before returning it to his own shoulders. Ray chuckles a bit at the sight.

“Well, it is…certainly nice to meet all of you. Gloam…said you knew somewhat what was going on? With all the…worlds crossing over or something?”

“Yes, I do, actually. Me and Zoey experienced something similar to this a few years ago. Come on. We’ll explain, the best we can.”

“You met… _.me?_ The young me?” Ray stared at Warrior in shock, earning a light snicker from Zoey.

“You were the _**cutest little kid!!**_ You had the chubbiest little cheeks!!! We think he might’ve been from a different set of timelines though.” Zoey squealed, pressing her own cheeks together. Ray’s face bloomed red.

“Th-thanks? I guess…”

“Ignore her, she’s weird.”

“Hey!”

Warrior rolled his eyes, before continuing. “A situation happened about a month ago…Cia and Lana called for assistance when a Gate of Souls opened in the Valley of Seers, without either of them knowing why it had happened. Zoey, the Queen, and I had arrived to help try and figure out why this could have happened…when the ground began to shake, and the Queen was nearly sucked into the portal. Zoey managed to push her far enough away, but got caught and pulled through. I ran after her.”

“He tried to be my _knight in shining armor.”_ She coos, grabbing Warrior’s face and squishing his cheeks.

“Stop it!” He huffs, earning a snort from a lounging Four a few feet from the trio. “We landed in Four’s Hyrule, actually. Then Sean, Lucas, Zelda and Gloam ended up there as well. Apparently, the portal that took us wasn’t the first one to appear. Eventually, we decided to head out to see if anyone else had landed around where we were, but then ended up in a completely different Hyrule. Which we find out was Tear’s. And then we decided to just keep going. We headed to the woods near where Tear lived, and eventually we crossed over to this place, and found you. We don’t what Era this is though, and you said you had gotten sucked through a portal right?”

Ray nodded, absently picking at his lips while he thought. “You think we’ll meet another one of the heroes here, or something?”

“Maybe. Who knows?” Warrior leaned back a bit, pulling one of his arms across his chest. “Ow…”

“You alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Might’ve pulled a muscle in my shoulder though… It’s whatever, I’ll be fine. We’re going to heading out soon. Might wanna make sure you got everything situated.” He and Zoey stood, making their way to the other side of the camp.

Ray nods. “Yeah, alright.” His voice is slightly muffled by his hand, his fingers still pulling at the dead skin on his lips.

“You shouldn’t pick your lips, ya know. You’ll make em bleed.” Four’s tired voice sounded from his right. He only had one eye open, as he leaned against the trunk of a tree. Ray dropped his hand.

“Yeah, it’s a habit. Usually I have someone to keep me from doing it, but…” He looks down, picking at the end of the gauntlet on his left arm.

“Your wife, I’m guessing?”

Ray chokes, before whipping his head up to stare at Four, who’s face now held a light smirk. “Uh….y-yeah…I didn’t think anyone saw the ring…I’ve had my gauntlets on this whole time, they cover it…”

Four laughs, pulling himself to sit upright. “I didn’t. Just assumed. You have that little newly-wed glow about you. What’s her name?”

“Zorana….We’ve been married about 4 months now…”

“Congratulations.”

“Thanks…”

Four opens his mouth to say something, but is cut off by Gloam’s voice announcing to the group that they’re about to head out. “Welp…” Four uses his sword to help push himself up to a standing position. “Guess it’s time to go. Maybe we can figure out what Era we’re in.”

Ray nods. “Yeah, maybe…”

After only about a few hours of walking, the group came up a clearing in the forest. Before them was what seemed like a temple, with a large statue in front of it.

“That’s a Goddess Statue. I’ve never seen one this big…Even the Temple of Time’s Goddess Statue wasn’t this fucking huge.” Sean’s shaky voice rang out over the awed silence that had blanketed the group. “Hey, who’s that?” Everyone followed where Sean pointed. A young child with yellow-blonde hair peaked out from the massive doors of the temple, before disappearing. Not long after, they reappeared, following by a woman with the same color hair. She caught sight of the group, and walked to approach them.

“Oh, goodness! Hello! Where’d all of you come from?” Her pink dress swayed slightly behind her, bright blue eyes familiar to quite a few of the travelers. “Are you travelers? Odd…I don’t recognize any of you…”

“Um…” Warrior was the first to speak up. “Is your name…Zelda by chance? Do you know someone by the name of Link?”

“Oh, yes, I do! Here, come with me!” She turns to lead them, the bump on her belly becoming a bit more evident. Ray sucked in a breath, catching a concerned look from Four.

Ray just kept looking forward, his fists clenched at his sides.

Once they were all inside the temple, they were met by a man with dirty blonde hair, and a friendly smile. He wore a simple cream-colored shirt, a white cloth tied through the belt loops on black pants.

“Hi there! I’m Link. Zelda told me you all were asking about me?” He extends a hand, which Warrior shakes.

“Uh, yes. Hello, Link. Um…well, it’s a bit of a funny story…”

“Ohhhh for the Silver Goddess’s sake.” The youngest of them groaned. “Yoo!” She shoved her way through the group, to the front. “Name’s Zelda. His name’s Link. A few of them are named Link, actually. We’re from different Eras, and just kinda appeared here. So hi!” She waves, before bracing her fists on her hips, staring up at the now shocked man expectantly.

It’s silent for a moment, before he nods, a slightly confused look on his face.

 **“Oh…** Okay….”

_Oh sweet Goddesses, help us._


	3. Another Joins the Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And another Hero is added to the group.
> 
> Something seems to be lurking in the shadows.

“So….you’re all from different Eras? And according to….records….this would have been the Era of the Sky? Seems fitting… Well, if that’s the case, you all can call me Sky!” The newest Link smiled, seeming not to care about the small blonde girl currently using him as her own personal tree. “This is Ciela, by the way. She’s my daughter.” **  
**

Ciela peered at the group, blue eyes locking onto each face in turn. When her eyes landed on Tear, he waved to her, giving her a small smile. She whipped her head away, burying it into her father’s shoulder. Sky laughs a bit.

“She’s a bit shy around new people.” He pulls her down from his shoulder, placing her on his leg. “Say hi, Ciela.” Ciela had one of her fingers in her mouth, and seemed keen on keeping quiet.

“She’s precious.” Gloam gives a smile. “It’s…also very nice to meet you, Sky. Um….have there been any…odd occurences recently? Monsters you’ve never seen before, maybe monsters you _have_ seen before, but they seem different? Like they might look different, or anything of the sort?”

Sky seems to think for a second, before shaking his head. “Nope. Everything’s been pretty normal. Occasional Bokoblin we might have to deal with, but other than that, everything’s been going pretty smoothly. We’ve been working on settlements and such, spreading people out a bit. That’s kind of it, though.”

“Hm…” Gloam presses his fist against his mouth, leaning his elbow on his knee. He seems to fall into thought, and with the awkward silence building, Zoey is the next to speak up.

“Miss Zelda? Are you by chance, pregnant?” She smiles excitedly, clapping her hands together. When Zoey says her name, the much younger ‘Zelda’ next to Lucas seems to flinch, but doesn’t say anything.

Zelda laughs a bit. “Why, yes I am. Going on about 8 and a half months now. I’m ready to pop!”

Zoey squeals, pressing her hands against her cheeks. “May I feel, by chance?”

“Of course, dear.”

Zoey squeals again, quickly moving to kneel by Zelda. She presses her hands against her stomach, and her eyes light up in excitement. She waves Warrior over. “Come heerrreee!!!”

Warrior stands up hesitantly, awkwardly shuffling to where the two women are seated.

“It’s alright, you can feel if you like.” Zelda reassures him. Warrior kneels beside Zoey, hesitantly raising his hand. Zelda snickers a bit, and grabs his hand, pressing it against her stomach.

Warrior’s eyes fill with wonder. “Ooohhhhhhhhh goddesses _it’s a bbaabbbbbyyyyyyy.”_ A few of the others laugh at his reaction.

After a while, Sky stands up, Ciela on his shoulder. “Well, I’m going to start making lunch.”

“Oh, I can help.” Both Four and Ray stand up, speaking at the same time.

Sky laughs. “I could use some extra hands. Come on.” He nods his head towards a set of doors just a few feet away.

The doors lead to a smaller hallway, which then opens up to a decent-sized kitchen area. “Four, you see the cupboard right there? Can you get out the biggest pot you see?” He points to a cupboard just under the counter, and Four heads towards it.

Sky sets down Ciela onto a nearby stool, and hands her a wooden spoon. She immediately starts waving it around, as if it were a sword.

“That’s some fancy swordplay, Miss Ciela.” Ray offers a smile to little girl, who shyly gives one back.

Sky chuckles. “Yeah, she’s really interested in ‘em. I think she’ll make a fine swordswoman when she’s older. Maybe she’ll get to be a Knight like her dad.”

“You were a Knight?”

“Of Skyloft, yes. I had just passed the test for it. The Wing Ceremony. That was right before I started my journey. I was almost 18.”

“Wow.”

“How old were you when you started?”

Ray clears his throat, a bit awkwardly. “I was 10.”

A loud clatter rings through the kitchen, and Ciela claps her hands over her ears. “Oh, sorry, dear. Didn’t mean to scare you.” Sky moves to Ciela, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “I-I’m sorry….Did you say you were 10? _**10 years old?**_ My goddesses…”

“Yeah….Not exactly a….pleasant time, but….you know.” Ray raises his hand towards his mouth, picking at his lips.

“I was 15. Still pretty young, but not as bad as 10.” Four’s voice chimes from the counter. “Also, Ray?”

“Yeah?”

“Quit picking at your lips. You’re going to make them bleed.”

Ray quickly lowers his hand, earning a snicker from Four. Sky shakes his head, and grabs a bag of apples from the corner. “Here. Ray, can you cut these up for me? I’m not very good at it…still not used to anything that _isn’t_ a pumpkin.” He snorts, sticking his tongue out.

Ray stares at him a moment, silent.

“What?”

“Oh…n-nothing…You just…reminded me of someone….”

“Would you happen to mean your wife?”

“What is it with you people being so clairvoyant?!”

Sky and Four both laugh. “It’s so obvious! You have that newly-wed glow about you!”

“That’s what Four said!”

“Because you do, Ray.”

“Shut up!”

The two laugh again at Ray’s embarrassment.

“What’s her name?” Sky still has a smile on his face as he moves toward the large pumpkin that had been on one of the other countertops.

“Zorana….We’ve been married about 4 months…”

“What’s she like?”

“Wild….she’s an absolute mad woman….But that’s what I like about her. I knew her when I was a kid. She’s….6 years older than me.” Ray holds back a laugh. “When I was young, she was a lot more like a big sister to me. I’d visit her every week and we’d spar. She helped me get a lot stronger. I could never beat her though….I was 11 when I started, and when I was 15, I was given a mission by the Princess of my Hyrule. I sparred with Zorana one last time, almost won, but still lost. Didn’t come back until I was almost 20.”

“Wow. What happened when you came back?”

“It….It was weird. When I saw her again….it was like my whole view of her had changed. She wasn’t like a sibling to me anymore….I saw her as a woman instead of a sister. I challenged her, and I won. Very well, at that.” He laughs. “Oh, I kicked her…” Ray stops, looking to Ciela for a moment, before clearing his throat. _“Butt_. And after that….I asked her if I could court her. She agreed….and….kinda went from there.”

“That’s the sweetest thing ever.” Four coos, waving a spoon at him.

“Shut up!” Ray chucks an apple slice at him.

“Hey! Those are for dessert!” Sky waves the large ladle in his hand, splattering pumpkin guts onto the counter. “…..Oops.” All 3 of the men laugh.

Ciela, still sitting on her stool, gave a small smile to the sight of the trio, and hopped down from her perch. She quietly slipped out of the kitchen, bounding down the hall. As she was doing so, a bit of movement caught her eye. She turned towards the wall beside her. In the corner of the hall, shadows pooled where the light didn’t reach. **Suddenly, two red orbs blinked at her.**

She slowly walked closer to the spot, the wooden spoon still in her hand. The shadows seem to twist and move as she got closer. A part of the shadow seemed to warp, and Ciela reached out her hand to touch it.

But before she could, she was lifted into the air.

“Ciela! You know you can’t go wandering off like that! What if you got hurt and we couldn’t find you?!” Sky’s worried voice rang through the hall. Ciela simply stared at her father, before turning her head to look back at the corner. The red orbs were gone, and the shadows had stilled.

Ray and Four stood in the archway of the kitchen. Four was also staring intently at the corner, before turning on his heel and going back into the kitchen.

“Alright. Your friends agreed to help Zelda keep an eye on Ciela. Sorry about that.” Sky sighed as he returned to the kitchen, leaning over the pot now filled with pumpkin soup.

“Oh, it’s fine. Kids seem like quite a handful.” Ray laughs a bit, looking back down the hall.

“Oh, they are. But I’m sure you’ll be learning that soon enough.” Sky gives him a wink, which causes Ray to choke a bit.

“Mm…Yeah…maybe.”

“What about you, Four? You got anybody special?” Sky looks to Four, who is now helping Ray cut apples.

He chuckles, nodding. “Yeah…Something like that…” A small smile shows on his tired face, making him seem a bit more lively.

Ray suddenly jolts, staring at the wall behind Four.

“What? What’s wrong?” Sky looks to the wall, Four doing so as well.

“I….uh…n-nothing. Thought I saw something….Startled me is all.”

“Was probably a bug.” Sky leans, checking over the wall. Four continues to stare at the wall, his shadow flickering from the light of the fire beneath the pot. Slowly, he turns back around, the smile still present on his face.

“Yeah…Probably.” He returns to cutting the apples, the smile never wavering.

Dinner is filled with amicable conversation and the excited squealing of Zoey while she talks with Zelda about the soon-to-arrive baby. Soon enough, it’s dark out, and Sky walks through the temple, snuffing out the remaining candles.

“It’s lucky we have so many blankets and pillows from Skyloft. Sorry we couldn’t have proper beds for all of you, though.” Zelda hands Tear a second pillow, and he immediately places it on top of his blankets, and faceplants into it. Lucas, to the side of him, snickers at the sight, nodding in thanks when Zelda also hands him another pillow.

“Oh, it’s alright. We’re just thankful for your hospitality….and for putting up with Zoey’s squealing…” Warrior laughs nervously, thanking her when she hands him the last pillow in her hands.

“Oh, I didn’t mind at all. She’s a very sweet girl. She’s a keeper.” Zelda sends Warrior a wink, and his face immediately blooms red in response. She giggles, walking towards the door. “I hope you all rest well. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Miss Zelda!!”

_“Link….I think you should go with them.”_

_“But the baby will be here soon! I can’t miss that!”_

_“They’re going to need your help!”_

_“Miss Zelda. Your husband should be here with you and your daughter. You are much more important for him. Our situation is our own.”_

_“I’d much rather be here with you, Zelda.”_

_“I know for a **fact** you’ve been itching to go out into the world again. This is your chance! You’ll even get to see how our hard work goes! I will be just fine! Groose and the others will help me! You should go! You would be such a good help for them!”_

_“Zelda…”_

_“Link…dear….Go. Go see the world again. I know you’ll come back. And our child will be waiting here to see their daddy when you do.”_

_“…….”_

_“If you’re sure-”_

_“I’m sure, Link.”_

_“Alright. I love you, Zelda.”_

_“I love you, too.”_

A loud squawking awoke the group, causing a few of them to jump up, grabbing their weapons. Others awoke slowly, rubbing their eyes. And one…

_snooorrrreeee_

….One slept right through it.

“Sean! Get up!” Gloam flicked the still sleeping teen’s head, who shot up from his pile of blankets.

“What?! What!! What? I’m up…I’m up!” He snorted a bit as he jolted awake, his arm buckling, almost causing him to fall back again.

Gloam bites back a laugh, as he looks for what made the noise.

A bright yellow beak stuck through the window to the room they were in. It squawked again, before spitting out an envelope, and slipping back through the window, the shutter closing.

Ray was the first to approach the window, picking up the letter.

**_Good morning, heroes! You all seem to be just as sleepy-headed as my hero, so I sent my Loftwing to wake you all up! Once you’re all ready, please come out to the Goddess Statue. I have a little announcement to make!_ **

**_Yours truly,_ **

**_Zelda_ **

****

“Well….guess we better head out there.” Ray says, waving the letter. A collective groan passes over the group.

**“YOU’RE COMING WITH US?!”** Lucas, Tear, and the princess all shout in tandem.

Sky laughs nervously, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Uh…yeah….Zelda thought it’d be a good idea…Maybe I could help with your situation? I try to convince otherwise, I’d rather stay here for the baby, but…can’t really argue with her when she has her mind set on something.

“And Gloam. You knew about this?” Sean stood with his arms crossed, his hip out. Gloam snorts at the sight of him.

“Y….yes. I did.” He fails at keeping back his laugh. “Ahem. I thought the same thing as Sky. He should stay here with Zelda in my opinion. But yeah….can’t really argue with any incarnation of Zelda. I think the majority of us can attest to that….”

It’s silent for a moment, before a unanimous sound of agreement comes from the group.

Gloam sighs, chuckling. “Well…we’re still glad to have you joining us, Sky. How many of us does that make? 10? Fun…”

“Oh….oh this is just gonna go to shit real quick.” Sean mumbles.

“Hey! Children, present. And that includes you.” Gloam flicks Sean’s forehead, earning two middle fingers from the short man. “HEY!” Sean bolts, quickly causing Gloam to chase after him.

Warrior sighs. “Welcome to the group of fff _riggin_ weirdos.”

“Nice save.” Sky snickers.

“Thanks.”


	4. Nobody Likes a Tyrant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is pulled into another Era.
> 
> This Era's hero seems a bit.....stinky.
> 
> And tyrannical.

“So, these Gates? At one point, this Sorceress opened a bunch of them, and merged various Eras of Hyrule…I got that earlier…” Sky sat with his arms crossed, one hand pressed against his cheek. Warrior nodded, leaning against one of the counters in the kitchen area where the two of them were talking.

“Yes. One of them actually went up to Skyloft. I helped some of the Knights fight off Ghirahim and a Dragon Knight named Volga.”

“Ghirahim…Nasty fucker.”

“Woah there, Pops. Language.” Warrior snickers at the unamused look he gained from Sky.

“So, what exactly happens when one of these Gates open?”

“Well, some of them don’t have much fanfare. They just appear. The ones Cia opened to merge the worlds, though, that was a pretty violent experience. Entire earth shook with the force of the Eras shoving into each other. It seems like the Gates that are opening now have the same thing going. When the Gate opened in the Valley of Seers, the one that brought me and Zoey here, the entire Valley seemed like it was going to _break apart._ And according to Ray, his experience with the Gate wasn’t all that pleasant either. He got ripped out of his house by it. He was lucky he managed to grab his sword before he was pulled through.”

“What about the princess? Her and her friends are from the same Era, right? What happened with them?”

“Won’t say. She just refuses for some reason, and the others seem to be keen on respecting her wish to keep it secret.”

“And Four?”

“He was found by Gloam and them. He was knocked unconscious when they were pulled through another Gate, so he can’t remember any of it. And Tear didn’t exactly seem phased by what had happened. I guess he’s used to crossing through worlds.” Warrior shrugs, propping a leg up on the table, and pushing himself up to sit on it.

“Y’all talking shit bout me?” A young voice chimed from the kitchen doorway. The lavendar-haired teen smiled mischievously at the two men.

“Yep, totally.” Warrior snorts, grunting slightly as Tear bolted towards him, headbutting his arm. “Ow, the hell? Why you always gotta do that?” He jumped down from the table, yanking Tear into a headlock, earning excited laughter from him as he attempted to release himself from Warrior’s grip.

“How old are you, Tear?” Sky asks between laughs.

Tear peaks at Sky from Warrior’s arm, smiling. “I’m 16.” Warrior finally releases him, Tear’s face now red from his laughter and exertion.

“Your hair is very…colorful? How’d you get it like that?”

Tear runs a hand through his hair, allowing the red and blue streaks to be seen a little easier. “I wanted to put a couple streaks of red and blue, but it didn’t exactly work out. Turned my whole head purple….still somehow managed to get the streaks though.” He laughs, resituating his hat, which had been knocked askew by Warrior’s antics.

“Ah…” Sky attempts to hold back another laugh.

“Guys?” Another voice called from the doorway. The 3 of them turned, eyes landing on Lucas hovering just beyond the arch leading into the hall. He looked out of breath. “B….baby! BABY!!” He shouts, before bolting off back down the hall. Sky immediately runs after him.

 _“Oh….The **baby!** ” _Tear and Warrior say in unison.

By the time Tear and Warrior caught up with the others, Sky was helping keep Zelda upright. She was halfway bent over, clutching her stomach. Zoey was on her other side, and she and Sky eventually started trying to get her moving.

“Zoey! Do you guys need help? Is there anything we can get or do to make this easier for her?” Warrior calls to Zoey. She looks up at him, and seems to think for a moment.

“Sky, where do you keep your blankets?” She looks to Sky.

“Back room. It’s just beyond the kitchen.”

“Warrior, go get some of the blankets. Tear, sweetie, get a big bowl from the kitchen and fill with warm water. Warm! Not hot. Hurry, please.” Both run back to the kitchen to complete their tasks.

Sky and Zoey manage to get Zelda back to her room, and lay her down. Four was close by, helping prop her up. It was quickly becoming very chaotic, Sean and Lucas were both freaking out in the hallway, causing their Zelda to have to shoo them outside. Tear and Warrior soon returned with blankets and water, and were immediately shooed out afterwards, as well.

Now all the others could was wait.

Ray sat on a small bench close to the Goddess Statue, staring up at the face of Hylia. He sighed, pressing his face into his hands, his leg bouncing.

“Hey.”

He turned quickly, startled by the voice, which he found to belong to Gloam. The Gerudo man swung a leg over the bench, taking a seat beside Ray. “She’s doing just fine. I’m guessing you’ve never experienced a woman giving birth? It’s scary, loud. But she’s gonna be just fine.”

“S’not that… She’s in good hands with Zoey and them, I know Zelda’ll be fine…It’s just…” Ray’s fingers picked fitfully at the dead skin on his lips, as he furrowed his brow at the ground.

“You thinking of your wife?”

“How the fuck do y’all know about that?! What, are you gonna tell me I have this ‘newlywed glow’ or some shit like Four and Sky did?!” Ray laughs, slapping his hands against his face. Gloam snorts.

“No, I actually overheard your conversation with those two yesterday. How come you don’t seem to want people to know?”

Ray shrugs, sighing. “It’s just…when people know…they ask. And it kinda…hurts talking about her. She doesn’t know where I am or what happened to me. She was there when I got yanked into that Gate, she almost got pulled in too, actually. And now, I’m here, meeting all these other Heroes from different Eras and all this stuff…it’s just crazy… I just want to get back to her…Make sure she’s okay…Make sure she knows I’m okay.”

“I get it, Ray.”

“Do you? Do you really understand how I feel right now?”

“Yeah, actually. Back home, I have people who depended on me. People I really care about, are in some serious danger right now. And I can’t do anything except hope we get pulled back into my Hyrule so I can do something about it. So yeah….I get _exactly_ how you feel, Ray.” Gloam’s knuckles began to turn white with how tightly he was clenching his hands together.

Ray stares at him for a moment, but before he can speak, Lucas comes bolting out of the temple, waving at the two.

“GUYS!!! BABY!! ARRIVED!!!” He jumps up and down, then turns on his heel and runs back into the temple.

“We hadn’t managed to decide on a name for her, yet. We wanted something similar to Ciela.” Sky is seated on the edge of the bed Zelda was laying in.

Nestled in Zelda’s arms was a small bundle of pink blankets, the tiny face of the newborn girl peeking out. “I wanted a name that started with either ‘N’ or ‘M’…Couldn’t decide though…Any of you have any suggestions?” Zelda looks up to the group, all of which was now crowded either in one corner of the room or in the doorway. Murmurs run through the room, for a few moments, before one voice speaks above the rest.

“What about Navi?”

All heads turn to Ray, who was standing across from the bed, against the wall. He seemed to shrink back when all eyes were turned on him. “It….was a friend of mine’s name…I don’t know, just seemed like it’d be cute.”

“Navi, huh? I like that….Simple. And it starts with an ‘N’.” Zelda chuckles, looking down at the little girl. “Well, hey there, Navi.”

A small smile found its way onto Ray’s face. Happiness filled the air.

_How sweet. New life is beautiful, isn’t it? Apologies, little Goddess, but I’m going to have to cut this sweet moment short. Nothing personal…_

_Actually…_

_**Everything personal.** _

The ground began to shake. Sky holds onto Zelda and Navi tightly, and the others attempt to grab onto something to keep from falling over. Zoey is the first to make it out of the room and down the hall. The others who were in the hall and the doorway quickly run after her.

“Sky! That’s what I felt when the Gate opened up!” Ray shouted over the rumbling of the earth. Sky’s eyes widened, as he looked to Zelda and his daughter.

Zelda looked up at him, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Go, Link. If it’s a Gate, you need to go with them!”

“I can’t just leave…”

“You got to be here to meet her. She will still be here when you get back, I promise. Go. I love you.”

Sky sighs, pressing a kiss to Zelda and Navi’s foreheads. He looks to Ray, nodding, and the two quickly leave the room.

It was difficult to run with how much the ground was shaking, but Sky managed to pull his sword over his shoulder, keeping close to Ray. Once they made it out of the temple, Warrior shouted to them, waving them over to where everyone else was.

A purple mass of what looked like smoke was hovering just a few meters above the ground, just in front of the Goddess Statue. The group stared up at it a moment, the ground seeming to still, before it began shaking again. A shout rang out, and the purple smoke spread out, a large portal forming. The smoke then shot towards them all, each being grabbed by wispy tendrils and pulled quickly towards it.

Sky attempted to fight against the tendril that grabbed him, digging his heels into the ground.

“ _Daddy!_ ” He whipped his head toward the voice. Ciela was standing in the doors of the temple, a panicked look on her face.

“Ciela! Get inside! Now!”

Before she could even move, the smoke coming from the portal shot out towards her. Sky screamed, trying to find purchase on the ground to keep from being pulling in. Just as the smoke got to her, a black, shadowy mass pooled on the ground just in front of her, and she was shoved into the temple, the doors being shut with a loud bang. The same black mass then quickly moved along the ground towards Sky, barreling into him, causing him to lose what little grip he had, and be pulled right into the Gate.

Everything went dark, as he lost consciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Sky? Sky!” A voice rang in Sky’s ears, as he felt hands shaking his shoulder. His eyes opened slowly, bright sunlight blinding him. Finally, his eyes adjusted, the sight of Four leaning over him coming into focus. “Are you alright? You got knocked unconscious…well, a lot of us did. But you’ve been out the longest.”

“Not used to it. This is first Gate he’s been pulled through.” Warrior’s voice chimed from a few feet away. Four helped Sky sit up, leaning him against a tree he had landed by. “Zoey and I have been through a million of these damn things, luckily. So we aren’t as affected by them.”

“Yeah, lucky you.” Zelda groaned. She was currently leaned against another tree, a few feet opposite of where Warrior was, looking like she was going to lose her last meal.

“You get used to it pretty quickly, don’t worry.”

“Fuck off.”

“Fair enough.” Warrior sighed, standing up from the log he had been sitting on, stretching out his arms. “We can stay here a little while, then we’re going to have to get moving, see if we can figure out where we are. Zoey’s currently scouting the immediate area, seeing if she can figure out what Era we’re in.”

“How is she going to do that?” Zelda questioned, her face finally regaining color.

“A book from the Valley of Seers. It has a bunch of stuff on monsters and places from various Eras. If she can find a certain group of monsters, she might be able to tell us what Era we’re in.”

“Hmm.”

As everyone gradually regains their bearings, loud footsteps ring out from the surrounding trees. Soon after, Zoey comes bolting into the makeshift camp, completely out of breath.

 **“Era of Decline.** We’re in the Era of Decline! It’s full of fucking monsters. We have to go. NOW!” She grates out between heavy breaths.

“Wait, what? The Era of Decline?” Gloam questions, helping Lucas resituate his weapons.

“Yes. We have to hurry. A fucking horde of monsters are not very far, and they fucking saw me, we have to go, **_now._** Everyone, get your shit! We have to GO!!” Zoey quickly moves towards her things, packing up her bag, and strapping her belt back onto her waist.

Everyone begins quickly packing up. Just as everyone is standing ready to go, a low rumble signals the approach of something big.

“Shiiittt! The fucking LYNELS!! GO GO GO!!!” Zoey shouts, and sprints into the trees opposite the noise. Everyone follows, the rumble getting louder and louder. Branches whip across the faces of Lucas and Tear, causing them both to slow down. Lucas quickly recovers, grabbing Tear and pulling him along.

Zoey shouts. “I SEE A CLEARING! HURRY!!”

With the rumbling growing ever louder, Four began having trouble keeping up with the group, falling farther and farther behind. Eventually, he stops completely, attempting to catch his breath.

“GUYS! WAIT!! FOUR, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Tear runs back towards him, trying to help him get moving. The others stop, and Warrior runs back to the two to help as well.

The ground shook, and a massive blue creature crashed through the trees. Its angry eyes landed on the trio, huffing. It was huge, holding two large swords in equally as big arms. It stomped at them with massive hoofs, before it began to charge them again, as three more of the same creature crashed through the trees, these ones being a big smaller and red in color.

Warrior yanked Four and Tear back, attempting to shield them from the coming attack, when a shout rang through the area, seeming to come from the treetops. The Lynels stopped, gnashing their teeth at the figure now descending from the treetops, directly in the path.

It felt as if everything moved in slow motion. Curly brown hair hid the person’s face, a shining white sword held in their left hand, their right crackling with some kind of yellow energy.

**“Thunder.”**

A loud roll of thunder came, as massive yellow bolts of lightning rained down on the 4 massive monsters, immediately striking them down. They each, in turn, fell to the ground, their bodies disappearing.

Everything was silent, as the other members of the group slowly made their way back towards Warrior, Four, Tear and the mysterious figure.

“Holy shit…” Warrior whispered, his eyes wide in shock at the complete destruction of the huge beasts from just a single attack. “Who the hell are you?”

The figure turns, annoyed, bright blue eyes landing on him. “You idiots are supposed to be heroes? Can’t even fight a few Lynels… I pity the kingdoms you come from.”

“Wait…how do you-” Tear begins to speak, before being cut off by the point of the person’s sword.

“I’m Link. And I’m guessing so are you. I believe I know a friend of yours. Wears a purple rabbit hood, really fucking annoying? From someplace called _**Lorule?”**_ They squat down, the point of the sword still just in front of Tear’s nose.

“Wait, you’ve met Ravio?”

“Right. Ravio. Yeah, he came into my fucking house in the middle of the night, I almost killed him. I don’t know about y’all, but in this Hyrule, we don’t take kindly to random fuckers coming into our houses uninvited. Now, come on. You idiots look like you could use a place to stay, and since I have plenty of room and not a whole lot of dignity, might as fucking well.” He swings the sword onto his shoulder, heading to the front of the group. “The bitch with the white hair has to sleep outside though.”

“Excuse you?” Warrior hisses at him, stopping in his tracks.

“I _said…_ ” He turns back towards him, swinging out the sword to point at Zoey. “The **bitch** with the white hair sleeps outside. I’m not letting that two-faced motherfucker back in my house ever again.” The woman in question remains still, a dark look in her eyes.

“Warrior….don’t argue with him. There’s a hotel near his house. We can just all go there.”

“With what money?” Gloam quips from the middle of the group. “Honestly, I’m not exactly keen on dealing with this guy’s attitude, but I’m willing to bet things in this Hyrule aren’t going to be cheap. And we aren’t exactly loaded with Rupees.”

“I have enough for a room for myself. I’ll be fine.”

“Wait…” Warrior scoffs. “How the hell does he even know you?”

“This is the Era that I’m from, Warrior…” This causes Warrior to choke, staring at her with wide eyes. “Go on. I’ll head to the hotel and get myself a room. I’ll meet you guys at his house.” She turns to face east, and heads off.

“Wait how do you-”

“Her and I have a bit of a history, _Warrior._ ” The man sneers, walking again. “I suggest you quit asking questions, unless you want to deal with more of these psychotic monsters.”

Warrior growls, but Ray places a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. “It’s not worth it, Warrior. Come on.”

A blur of purple bursts out of the door to the old house the group had arrived in front of. This blur knocks over Tear, causing him to fall to the ground.

“HELLO MR. HEROOOOOOO!!! IT’S BEEN SO LONG I THOUGHT I’D NEVER GET TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!!” The purple figure squeals, a rabbit-like hood covering the top of their face.

“Ravio!! Get ooofff!!” Tear groans, trying to push them off.

“Oi, Rabbit Guy. Get the fuck off him and help me set up places for them. Enough for….how many y’all got? 9? Since the witch is going to the hotel.”

“Actually, it’ll be 8. I’m going to the hotel as well.” Warrior speaks up, an annoyed glare still present on his face.

Link snorts, a smirk growing on his face. He raises an eyebrow at Warrior, looking him up and down. “Suit yourself, little Knight. Take it from me, though. That bitch is bad fucking news. She ain’t as sweet as she makes herself out to be.”

“Fuck you.”

“Maybe some other time. Run along, then.” He waves his hand, shooing him off. “Anybody else gonna whine?”

“Ya know, you don’t have to talk to them like that!” An unexpected voice chimes from the group. All heads turn to the young princess, her hands resting on her hips, a disgusted sneer on her face.

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, really. You’re acting like you’re the fucking king or some shit.”

“Well, I kinda am. I’m the King of this fucking town. What I say goes, here.”

“Well, nobody likes a _**tyrant.”**_

“Well, sometimes, sweetheart, **_tyrants_** are the only ones who get shit done.” He laughs, opening the door. “Unless you want to head to that nasty hotel too, I suggest y’all get in here. It’s about to rain.”

Zelda growls, but is the first to enter the house.

_Brat. Bratty little princess. Bratty little heroes. So annoying. I really wish things would just hurry up. I have to wait to open another one of those damn portals. With so many people going through….it requires more power._

_Maybe….if I split them up…._

_**Yes. That would work.** _

__

__

_**~** _


	5. As Shadows Abound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even Heroes succumb to their dark thoughts at times.

_“So what exactly was all that? What was that guy’s problem? What went down between you two?”  
_

_“I don’t want to talk about it, Warrior.”_

_“Zoey…You know you can talk to me.”_

_“I know. I’m just not ready to talk about it yet, okay?”_

_“Alright… But when you do, you know I’m here.”_

_“Thank you.”_

_**“Don’t you get it? You’re just a slave. You’re no hero.”** _

**_“I can’t breathe sometimes. It’s like there’s something in my chest trying to crawl its way out of my mouth.”_ **

****

**_“I don’t know what’s happening. Help me! Please?!”_ **

****

**_“And the little hero succumbs to his dark thoughts. Pathetic.”_ **

The clank of a bottle hitting the table jolted the tired man out of his stupor. Zelda had slammed a large liquor bottle down, staring at him with an expectant look. “You look like you could use a drink, Ty.”

“Ty?” He snarled, eyeing the bottle.

“Yeah. Short for ‘tyrant’. Since that’s exactly what you act like.”

“Clever.”

“Mm.” She knocks the lid of the bottle on the edge of the table, popping it off. She flops into the chair across from him, taking a large swig from it. She makes it face, smacking her lips. “Wow, that is pure shit.”

“No fucking duh. Ain’t exactly got any sort of good alcohol around here.” He takes it from her, staring down into the bottle. “Wait a second, how old are you?”

“13. You?”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful number you don’t get to know. Why the fuck a kid like you drinking?”

She shrugs. “Guess you could say being a princess in my time isn’t as cracked up as people think it is.”

“Hmm….Yeah I guess I can get that.”

“So what’s your issue with Zoey? As far as I know, she’s a sweetheart, but I also know people aren’t always what they seem. So what’s the story behind that?” She kicks her feet up onto the table between her and Ty, leaning her arm on the back of the chair.

Ty scoffs, shaking his head. “She ruined my life, pretty much. Not much else to say.”

“Well, yeah, I kinda guessed but like…” She throws her hands up, gesturing, “what happened?”

“Don’t exactly want to talk about it.”

Zelda sighs. “Alright. I can respect that. So how you’d meet the rabbit dude?”

“According to him, he got yanked into some weird portal, and found himself in front of what he thought was the house of a friend of his, but it ended up being mine. I guess I live in that Tear kid’s old house…future old house? Mm.” He shrugs, the bottle dangling from between two of his fingers.

“If you aren’t going to drink that, can I have it back?”

“Um, no? One: it’s mine. Two: a kid like you shouldn’t be drinking.”

“Uggghhh, you sound like my mom.”

“I have a feeling you say that about anyone who doesn’t let you do what you want.”

“Probs.”

“Probs?”

“Short for probably. Get with the lingo, old man.”

“Oh you are just _asking_ to get your shit kicked in.”

“Oh, yeah? Try me, _bitch._ ”

“You definitely got a fire in ya, kid. Guess that’s a good thing. ‘Specially in a place like this.” Ty stares down at the bottle in his hand, a frown settling on his face. “Though….I think all you Zeldas have that little fire.”

“Aoife.”

“What? _Ee-fah?_ ” He looks up at her, raising a brow. She’s looking down at her hands, picking at her nails.

“I prefer it.”

“Huh…Well, _Aoife_. I’d say you probably have better things to do than hang out this old geezer. What are the others doin’?” He stands up, setting the bottle on the table, then stretches, his various joints popping in response.

“Talking outside, I think. Don’t think a lot of them like being cooped up in such a small space with so many people.”

“Well, not everyone can live in a castle. I ain’t got many blankets and pillows so they’ll just have to make do tonight.”

“I think we’ll be fine with it. Before we met Sky, we’d camp out in the woods usually. And I’m used to sleeping outside so…” Aoife stands as well, eyeing the bottle. Ty catches her eyes, smirking. Her eyes pass from his to the bottle.

She jumps to try and grab it, but he snatches it up, whistling at her. “ _Ooohh~_ almost got it.” He winks, pointing at her with the hand holding the bottle. “Better luck next time, _Miss Aoife._ ”

She clicks her tongue, sticking her tongue out at him. “Worth a shot.”

“Can’t deny that. Come on.” He swings the bottle back and forth in his hand as he opens the door leading outside. He waves his arm with a flourish, standing to the side. _“After you, Princess~”_

“Oh fuck you.”

“Eeehhhh, I think you’re a bit young for that. No thanks.”

“Oh, you’re fucking gross.”

“Hey, you’re the one who said it.”

“Uggghhhhhhh!!!!”

“Hahahahahahaaa.”

_**“Have you ever wondered what it’s like in a world without Light? What it’d be like…to live in a world that didn’t have something like the Triforce….Or maybe it was steeped in shadows? The dusk of another world clouding this one? Or maybe one that was doomed to be crushed under the force of something else?”** _

_**“What in the world are you talking about?”** _

_**“You’ve never thought of what it could be like in other worlds?”** _

_**“Of course I have! I just don’t get where all this is coming from. You’ve never shown any interest in that kind of stuff before. What brought it about?”** _

_**“I don’t know… Maybe I’m just restless. I’m used to moving around.”** _

_**“Are you not happy staying here? With me?”** _

_**“It’s not like that-”** _

_**“No, really. You won’t hurt my feelings. Do you want to leave? Go somewhere?”** _

_**“I just….I miss moving around.”** _

_**“Then let’s go!”** _

_**“What?”** _

_**“Let’s go! Let’s go see the world! You’re not happy here, I can tell. You have been a bit…gloomy lately. So let’s go! Anywhere you want!”** _

_**“You’d really just up and leave…with me?”** _

_**“Of course I would. You’re kind of…my only friend.”** _

_**“Am I just a friend?”** _

_**“What?”** _

_**“Am I just a friend to you, Link?”** _

_**“I….You know….sometimes I don’t know.”** _

_**“You’re willing to leave everything here to make me happy…. Do you want to be something more than friends?”** _

_**“Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe I just don’t want to see my friend upset or sad.”** _

_**“You’re a sweet guy, Link.”** _

__

_Stop._

**_“You love me, don’t you?”_ **

_I fucking hate you._

_**“What?! TINY LITTLE HERO CAN’T HANDLE A LITTLE DARKNESS?”** _

_**“Why are you doing this?!”** _

_**“Because! IT’S FUN!”** _

_I hate you so much._

**_“Poor baby~ Does it hurt?”_ **

**_“Stop! Please!”_ **

**_“Awww, beg some more, little tyrant. You’re so cute when you beg for me.”_ **

**_“Stop…”_ **

**_“Don’t you get it? You’re just a slave. You’re no hero.”_ **

_Stop. Stop it._

_**“I feel like something’s really wrong with me…. I can’t breathe sometimes. It’s like there’s something in my chest trying to crawl its way out of my mouth. That damn witch is gone, I have no idea where she went…but ever since she left, it’s like a part of me is missing. And I don’t mean this in some bullshit sentimental way. I feel like there’s literally been a part of me ripped out, and my damn guts are just hanging out of my body.”** _

_**“I don’t know what’s happening!! I…I can’t see, everything’s red! Please… I don’t know what’s happening! Help me! Please?!”** _

_STOP!_

_**“And the little hero succumbs to his dark thoughts. Pathetic. I thought you were better than that, Link. Well….tyrants always get their punishments for their actions eventually. And you thought just because you were a hero you could act how you wanted. This is what happens when you go against what you are told. Bratty little child…You don’t deserve the blessing of Courage.”** _

_All you ever wanted was control over me. Why? What did I do? What made me so special? Being some Hero?_

**_That is exactly what made you so special, Link._ **

**_You were a Hero._ **

**_And now you’re just a little tyrant, scrambling for control over his life again._ **

**_Poor baby~ Can’t even handle seeing her again? Bring back memories? Memories of something that seemed too good to be true, because it was? Poor thing…_ **

**_Wake up._ **

**_Wake up._ **

**_WAKE UP._ **

****

****

_Wake up, Link._

“FUCK!” A thud signalled Ty’s descent from his bed. He scrambled to stand, gasping for air. His fingers fumbled for the switch on his light, before finally his room was illuminated. He collapsed on his bed, holding his hands over his face. “Fuck….fuck fuck fuck…. Why did you have to come back here? Why….I wanted to forget you… I can’t handle you being here.”

“Bad memories I’m guessing?” An unfamiliar voice chimed from the corner of the room, where the light from Ty’s lamp couldn’t reach.

“Who’s there? Who the fuck are you?”

“Relaaaxxx. Friend, not foe.” Two glowing red lights blinked into existence in the corner, as a figure stepped into the light.

Red lights turned to a pale purple, writhing wispy tendrils moving back into the corner. Dark purple braids framed a dark grey face, a semi-concerned look present. “You alright? Nightmares aren’t fun to wake up from alone, trust me, I know.” The man leans on against the wall, the light catching against an onyx-like rose-shaped charm around his neck.

“Well, I guess I’m not really alone, now, am I?”

“Touche.”

“Who are you?”

“Me?” The man points to himself, before grinning, pointed white teeth stark against shadowy skin. “I’m Shadow. Aoife calls you Ty, don’t she? Sup.” He shoves his hands in his pockets, the impish smile still present.


	6. A Dark Omen Brewing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Hero's brother is haunted by his decisions, while dark forces bring forth terrible omens.

_“Come on, Sean. You’re gonna get left behind! We’re gonna get nice beds at the stable without yooouuuuu.” The bright-eyed blonde teen ran ahead of his parents and younger brother. **  
**_

_The small boy dragged his feet as he walked behind his parents. “I’m tired of walking! How come we couldn’t just ask Miss Paya to use the Sheikah Slate?”_

_“Because, Sean, we aren’t going to waste the Slate’s power on something so dumb.” The short, brown-haired man in front of Sean shook his head, before hissing in pain when the woman beside him whacked her hand against his arm._

_“One: The Sheikah Slate has unlimited power, Seamus. Two: It’s not dumb at all, this trip actually could have warranted us going to Impa. But I decided we’d take the trip ourselves. We’re almost to a stable, we’ll get some horses to help us along. We still have about a week till the ceremony.” The woman’s white hair curled around her head like a halo, as she stepped back to pick up Sean. “Come on, honey, it’s not much farther.”_

_“Oh come on, don’t spoil the boy, Ahava. He can walk just fine.” Seamus scoffs, giving his wife an exasperated look._

_“He’s 6 years old, Seamus. And just for that, you get to walk while we use the horses.” She gives him a smug smile, flipping her hair as she walks ahead beside her elder son._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_“Why hello, there! How are you all doin’? Ahava, it’s so good to see you!” Bright, emerald green eyes sparkled at the new arrivals. Ahava smiled, going to embrace the tall Gerudo woman._

_“Hey there, Miss Chief. You’re just bout ready to pop aren’t you? Got any names picked out yet?” Ahava presses her ear to the woman’s swollen stomach._

_“I was thinking Zakiya.”_

_“Oh, that’s a wonderful name, Jamie.” Ahava leans to pick up Sean, and waves her other son over. “Link turned 10 last week, so we brought him here for the ceremony.” She runs her hand through his hair, ruffling it._

_“Oh, I see. Hello, Link, you’ve grown quite a bit since I last saw you. And as have you, Sean!!” Jamie takes Sean from Ahava’s arms, bouncing him in the air, earning an excited giggle from the small child. “Well, come on. Got about an hour, we can get Seamus his room all set up at the Bazaar.”_

_“You know, I don’t really understand why I have to go to that damn Bazaar, but my boys can go in town.” Seamus huffs._

_“Well, only voes under 18 years of age may enter Gerudo Town. And that attitude of yours is precisely why we don’t let adult voes into Town.” Jamie smiles sweetly, a knowing grin on her face._

_Seamus blows a raspberry at her, shrugging. “Fair enough. Lead the way, Miss Chief.”_

_**“MAMA!!! LOOK! I DID IT!!”** _

__

_**“Come on, Sean! Let’s have a sword fight!”** _

_**“It’s a boy?! But I thought…”** _

_**“I know…It’s…a little worrying, given all the legends. But…I don’t care about all that. He’s still my son, that isn’t going to change. No matter what happens.”** _

_**“Do you have a name for him?”** _

_**“Lucasari. It’s a very old Gerudo name. Legend has it, it was the name of the last Gerudo male, the one who fought in the First Calamity.”** _

_**“It’s a wonderful name, Jamie.”** _

__

_**“Queen Hilda! Welcome! It’s been a while since you’ve come here to Kakariko.”** _

_**“Hello, Impa. Is my daughter here? I know she likes to come here when she runs off.”** _

_**“No, I’m sorry. She isn’t around here. She might be in Gerudo Town with Jamie?”** _

_**“I see. Thank you, anyways, Miss Impa.”** _

_**“No problem, Queen Hilda…….You two can come out now.”** _

_**“Thank you, Miss Paya.”** _

_**“Of course, Zelda. But Sean, you have to keep an eye on her. She needs to get back to Hyrule Castle by tonight so her mother doesn’t become suspicious.”** _

_**“Yes, Miss Paya. Come on, Zelds!!”** _

_**“ARE YOU KIDDING ME, SEAN?! We’ve been looking all over for the Princess and it turns out that YOU are the one who’s been helping her sneak out?!”** _

_**“WELL MAYBE IF YOU WEREN’T SUCH A SHITTY KNIGHT YOU WOULD HAVE FIGURED IT OUT BY NOW! AREN’T YOU SUPPOSED TO KEEP AN EYE ON HER AT ALL TIMES?! ISN’T THAT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE THE PRINCESS’S CHOSEN KNIGHT?!”** _

_**“YOU LITTLE BRAT!”** _

_**“LET GO OF ME!!”** _

_**“L…l…Link? Ar…are you….Help…h..HELP!!”** _

__

_**“What happened?”** _

_**“We…w…we were arguing…And….a…and…we fell off the edge of the walkway.”** _

_**“What the hell could you two have been arguing about, Sean?”** _

_**“I…I’m the one w….wh…who’s been helping Zzzzz….”** _

_**“Take your time, dear.”** _

_**“I’ve been….helping Zelda sneak out…Q…Queen Hilda.”** _

_**“I know.”** _

_**“Y…y…you do?”** _

_**“Yes, Sean. I’ve always known. That’s why I’ve never been very inclined to go after her when she runs off. Because I knew she’d be fine with you, you wouldn’t let her get hurt.”** _

_**“I’m sorry.”** _

_**“It’s not your fault, Sean.”** _

_**“HE’S THE DAMN REASON OUR SON IS GONE, AHAVA!!”** _

_**“HE IS OUR SON TOO! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, SEAMUS!”** _

_**“Do you see the way everyone looks at us? With that damn pity in their eyes?”** _

_**“Because our child just died, Seamus. What the fuck do you expect from people who have a sense of fucking empathy?”** _

_**“They are looking at us like we are WEAK!”** _

_**“THEY ARE LOOKING AT US LIKE WE JUST LOST A FUCKING CHILD!”** _

_**“Sean…”** _

_**“Yeah, Zelds?”** _

_**“Are you alright?”** _

_**“I’m fine…”** _

_**“Hey there. Name’s Sani. You looking for a job?”** _

_**“Uh…yeah. A waitress perhaps?”** _

_**“Oh. Oh….uh…yeah sure. Name?”** _

_**“Um…Shauna.”** _

_**“Well, Shauna. How soon can you work?”** _

_**“Right now.”** _

_**“Oh, well then…th-that’s great! We’re pretty short-staffed right now, so that’d be wonderful. I’ll see how you work tonight, and if you do well, we’ll see about getting you a proper position here.”** _

_**“Alright.”** _

_**“Your name isn’t really Shauna, is it?”** _

_**“No…It’s Sean.”** _

_**“Do you prefer Shauna?”** _

_**“I don’t really care. You can call me Sean if you like.”** _

_**“Eh. I’ll probably just stick to the nicknames. Are you all alone out here?”** _

_**“Pretty much. I can’t go back home, and I’m almost 18, there’s no point in going to Gerudo Town.”** _

_**“You realize they’d probably still let you in, right? Especially if you went there dressed like how you were in the tavern. They wouldn’t think twice.”** _

_**“They know me. They’d know it’s me.”** _

_**“I’m guessing you’re well-known then? How often have you been there?”** _

_**“My mom was best friends with Lady Jameela. I’ve known her son since he was born.”** _

_**“I see…Well, chickadee. You can stay here as long as you like. If you don’t have anywhere else to go, you’re welcome here at any time.”** _

_**“Thh…thank you…Sani.”** _

__

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_It’s cold. Why is it so cold? Did I kick my blanket off?_

Bleary eyes blinked up at the wooden ceiling, as Sean attempted to feel around him for the blanket Gloam usually covered him with at night. Sure enough, the blanket was just to the side of him, haphazardly splayed across the floorboards. He sits up, rubbing his eyes.

“You alright, Sean?” Gloam’s deep voice whispered from a few feet away. Sean looked up to see the elder man watching him from a spot against the wall.

“Yeah…I’m fine. Weird dreams s’all…”

“Nightmares?”

“Not really. Bad parts, yeah. But not super bad.”

“Wanna head outside for a bit? Be better than staying in all cooped up.”

“Yeah.” Sean stood up, careful not to disturb Tear and Ravio who were curled up together a few feet to his right. Gloam stood up as well, wrapping his arm over Sean’s shoulders as they left the house as quietly as possible.

“So…your brother was a chosen hero?”

“Yep. Can you guess his name?”

“Hmmmmmmmmmm… Was iiiitttt…Link by chance?” Gloam shoots a knowing smile at Sean.

“Oh how did you guess?!” He gasps dramatically, pressing his hands against his cheeks. They both laugh. “He was trained to be Zelda’s knight for about…9 years? I was 15 when he died, so…yeah.”

“And then Lucas pulled the sword afterwards? When he was 10?”

“Yep. Honestly, Link kinda sucked at being a knight. He had a really bad temper, didn’t get along with any of the royal court. Bad mouth, no filter. He was a serious dickhead, honestly. I feel like becoming a chosen hero…made his ego too big. Don’t get me wrong, he took his job seriously when it came to Zelda, he was just bad at it. 10 years old is too young for that kind of responsibility.”

“Yeah…tell me about it….You feeling alright now?”

“Yeah…I’m alright. Just kinda…sucks, you know?”

“Mhm.”

Sean sighs, before leaning his head against Gloam’s arm. Gloam responds by pulling Sean into closer to him, allowing the two of them to fall into a comfortable position together, Sean’s head resting against Gloam’s chest.

“I miss him…He was an asshole…but he was my brother.”

“I know, Sean…I know.” Gloam runs his fingers through Sean’s hair. “Your hair’s startin’ to grow out.”

“I might let it this time. Plus…I don’t like getting my hair cut by anyone who isn’t Miss Paya.”

Gloam chuckles. “Yeah, then it’ll have to wait unless we can magically end up back in your Hyrule.”

Sean snorts, relaxing in Gloam’s grip. “Yeah…guess so…”

_This is your fault, Sean. You pushed me off._

_**What?** _

_Your fault, your fault._

_**Link? No…no you know that’s not what happened.** _

_Were you jealous? Was that it?_

_**Of course I was jealous of you. But I’d never do that, you’re my brother.** _

_Your fault, your fault._

_**What…what’s going on? Why is it so dark? Gloam? Zelda? Lucas?! Anybody?!?!** _

_You know, Sean… There were other ways to get what you wanted. You didn’t have **throw your own brother off the bridge.**_

_**Hey, asshole, I fell off of it too. I lost Link and I can’t speak properly because of all of this. You’re just trying to mess with my head, so fuck you! I know what happened.** _

_Oh really? There was no resentment? No anger? There’s no way you can tell me you didn’t dislike your brother at least a little bit…enough to want to hurt him?_

_**No. He was a dick, but I could never kill him.** _

_I think we both know that’s a lie._

_**Who the hell even are you?!** _

_Me? Well…._

**_STOP STOP_ **

****

**_I can’t breathe._ **

****

**_SEAN_ **

****

**_hELp_ **

****

**_StOp thIs_ **

****

**_EvERerrrytthinGG huRRTtss_ **

****

**_Ihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyou_ **

****

**_YoU UUUUuuuuu DidddDDD ThIS_ **

****

**_Badbadbadbadbadbad_ **

****

**_I’m bad._ **

****

**_STOP!_ **

All Sean could see were two burning red lights in front of him, as a mass of black tar bubbled and spit at his feet. Two hands shot out of the tar, pressing against the ground, as a rolling mass crawled out of the pitch-black substance. **“You’re the reason for this, Sean. You’re the reason he’s gone.”**

“I know I’m the reason…But it doesn’t matter. I didn’t mean for it to happen, and that’s all I can do…” Sean’s breathing quickened, his voice cracking as tears spilled over his cheeks. The creature crawled towards him, gaining more and more of a humanoid shape. Every once in a while, it seemed to stop, its whole body spasming. It’d change form, from a person, to a wolf and then to simply an amorphous blob.

 **“Pathetic. Pathetic. Patheticpatheticpathetic.”** The creature screeches, lunging towards Sean. The tar-like substance splatters over Sean’s body, pinning him to the ground of whatever void he was currently stuck in. **“You’re just a waste…a burden. It’s your fault, your fault! You can’t help your friends! You’ll just end up hurting them too! You don’t want to hurt them, do you? You can’t protect them, so all you’ll end up doing is dragging them down.”**

“No, I won’t. I won’t!” Sean tries to claw at the creature, choked sobs fighting their way out of his mouth. “I can help. I know I can. Gloam tells me all the time.”

**“He just pities you. You know you’re just a burden to him.”**

“IF I WERE JUST A BURDEN HE’D TELL ME!”

**“Funny that you actually believe that. Now shut up, and die.”**

The black tar falls out of the creature’s mouth, covering Sean’s face and finding its way into his own mouth, choking him. His vision was quickly fading, as he continued to try and fight his way out of the creature’s grip.

_Sean._

_**Help.** _

_Sean!_

_**I can’t breathe.** _

_Sean! Wake up!_

_**Bad. Badbadbadbadbad.** _

_SEAN!_

_**I’m bad.** _

  
“SEAN!”

Sean woke up, gasping for air and coughing. Gloam’s voice kept calling to him, as he felt hands steady his body as he rolled to the side, and threw up in the grass. Heavy sobs jolted through him, as Gloam’s arms wrapped around him, pulling him back to sit.

“It’s not my fault, it’s not. It’s not….I didn’t mean for it to happen. I didn’t. I didn’t!”

“Shhh, Sean. I know. It’s not your fault, don’t ever think it was your fault.”

Sean continued to cry, tear-filled eyes staring up at the bright moonlight. “It’s not my fault…” He whispered, hanging tightly onto Gloam’s arms, curling into a ball.

_“It’s not my fault.”_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“His brother’s Dark? How could that be possible, Shadow?” Four whispered to purple-haired man.

“How else would it work? His brother was held the Spirit of the Hero. Anyone bound to a goddess, or with the Spirit of the Hero, will gain a Dark Image. His brother’s Dark was always malformed, we think it was because of Link’s heart. He wasn’t exactly a prime example of heroism. He was kind of a dick, honestly.” Shadow crosses his arms, sighing. “This Dark has latched onto Sean. Which is weird, because his brother’s Dark should have either disappeared or gone rogue without their Light around, and since it didn’t have a chance to meet its Reflection. I think those two have something to do with it.”

“Them? You mean…Mali and Vanity?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what they’re planning…. I’m not exactly welcome in the Dark World, as I’m sure you know.”

“Right…What should we do?”

“Keep an eye on Sean. Having those two on his tail for whatever reason won’t be good for him. He’s fragile enough because of what happened to his brother, having Mali on him especially will just fuck him up worse. I think Gloam has him handled for now, but… We just have to keep an eye on him till we can figure out what’s going on.”

“Okay…” Four nods, before pressing his hand against his forehead.

“You alright?” Shadow is immediately at his side, pressing a hand to Four’s cheek.

“Yeah, I’m fine…Just tired. Have you gotten anything that might help Vio’s situation?” Four presses his head against Shadow’s shoulder, taking in a shaky breath. Shadow wraps his arms around him, swaying gently with his cheek pressed against the top of Four’s head.

“I’ve learned a couple things, so it’s a start. When you initially beat your Dark, and I was released from the Four Sword as a result, something happened that managed to cause a piece of your Dark to become stuck in your body. And it’s slowly corrupting each part of you. It started with Vio for whatever reason… That’s all I’ve got so far…But it’s something.”

“Weren’t you close with your Vio….back then…”

“Yeah, I was…Maybe I set the precedent…”

Four pulled back a bit, fiddling with the edge of Shadow’s collar. “We’ll figure it out…I promise…”

“I know we will. Blue’d never let me live it down if I didn’t.” He chuckles, earning a laugh from Four as well. He presses a kiss to Four’s temple, before pulling him into another hug.

**“Blech. Love is so gross.”**

**“Oh, hush, Vanity. They’re rather cute together.”**

**“Seriously, Mali? Good fucking Fayra, you’re so weird to think that that mushy shit is cute.”**

**“Watch your language, Vanity. You know I don’t appreciate foul mouths.”**

**“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Did the baby hero’s Shadow find the kid?”**

**“Yes, they did. It’s going to be a little troublesome with the Chained Hero around, but luckily we have the little tyrant and the three heirs, so that should make it a little easier.”**

**“Hmm…How long until we have to go get her?”**

**“Still a little while. We have to wait for her to finish her assignment….and find the Guardian’s Sword. We can’t retrieve her until she finds it.”**

**“Ah…”**

**“Oooohhh, Mommy is going to be so happy to see how everything is coming along… The next thing on our list…will be the newest hero…What was the name he was given?”**

**“Lucasari.”**

**“Lucasari! Ooohhh like the old hero. In that Calamity thing. I see. Funny. Both holding the Spirit of the Hero, yet being blood incarnations of our wonderful King.”**

**“So funny, Mali.”**


	7. From Dawn Till Dusk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As a man reminisces about his wife, the shadows keep growing behind him.

_“I see you’ve finally come to visit me. How exactly did you get in here, though? I know the guards wouldn’t have let you come in here all on your own.”_

_“Gerudo Token.”_

_“Ah…I see. Well then, little **vome.** Surely, you haven’t just come here for a visit. What is your business here?”_

_“I’m not exactly used to this…I used to only see you as that small child, and think of you as a brother. But now…it’s very different.”_

_“Honestly, it’s the same for me. When I came back…and saw you again…You weren’t that big sister who helped me fight better, anymore…You’re just Zorana, now.”_

_“PUT ME DOWN YOU BRAT!! OH YOU’RE THE WORST!!”_

_“Yeah, yeah. I’ll remember you said that the next time you whine about me not giving you enough attention.”_

_“Oh, fuck you.”_

_“You sure you wanna say that, **Princess~? Cause I’d be happy to oblige.”**_

_“Oh really?”_

_“…Really.”_

_**“Then oblige.”** _

__

_“You know….I hate not being around you.”_

_“What?”_

_“I hate not being around you.”_

_“Oh…thank you?”_

_“I don’t like when I’m asleep, because I can’t see you.”_

_“Link, where is this coming from?”_

_“Hush. Just listen to me.”_

_“Okay…”_

_“I don’t like not being able to hear your voice. The only time I’m okay with the silence is if I can see you, know you’re there. You keep the monsters in my head away, and I never…ever want that to change. I wanna be with you forever, Zorana.”_

_“Link…Are…”_

_“Marry me, Zo.”_

_“AAHHHHH YOU GUYS LOOK SO CUTE!!! OH I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG FOR YOU TO FINALLY ASK HER!!”_

_“Skylar, calm down!”_

_“I CAN’T!! OH MY HYLIA IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING!!! EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”_

_“Sky, holy shit, calm yourself!”_

_“AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”_

_“Are you worried about your father?”_

_“A little.”_

_“Are you going to see him today?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Do you want me to come with you?”_

_“Are you sure you’d be okay with that?”_

_“If you need me, Zorana, then yes, I’ll be there.”_

_**“Take care of her, Hero.”** _

__

_**“He has been sentenced to a ten year imprisonment, and then an execution.”** _

__

_**“Zarinia Neravi Dragmire, 3rd born Dragmire, shall be presiding over Ganondorf Demisius Dragmire’s execution.”** _

_“He isn’t all that bad, you know. He can be kind. He was always kind to me and my sisters. He was devastated when it came to what happened to Skylar and Rosie. And he was always hesitant when it came to what happened with Luca. He hated what was done to them, but….I guess the Goddess’s malice towards the world helped cloud his judgment…and chase away that love…I don’t think he deserves this….and he especially doesn’t deserve to have to have his own child preside over his execution. He loved his kids, and I like to think he tried to love me. He knew how much I hated serving the Goddess. I hope you can believe me when I say he is not a bad person, Link.”_

_“Maybe I could believe it in another life, Miss Gabriana.”_

_**“Heh…heh…. The wind….It is blowing…”** _

__

__

“Ray? Are you alright?” A hand landed gently on Ray’s shoulder, jolting him out of his stupor. Blue eyes met green, red hair framing a tan face, and causing dread to roll down Ray’s spine. “You’ve been zoned out for a while. Are you okay?” A worried look crosses the young man’s face.

“Y-yeah…I’m fine.” Ray’s mouth felt like sandpaper when he spoke, his voice low and rough. His right hand fiddle with the edge of his left gauntlet, right above where his wedding ring was. “Just…thinking about things.” The sun of the early evening cast a golden glow on Ty’s rough front yard, and seemed from add an eerie glow to the land around them. The bench Ray was sitting on gave him a perfect view of the beginning sunset, but he seemed unphased by the spectacle.

“What kind of things?” Lucas sits down beside him, a comfortable distance between them.

Ray gives a dry chuckle, shaking his head. “Nothing young **vome** like you should be worrying about.”

“What? **Vome?** Do you mean **voe?”**

“No, I meant **vome.** I’m guessing the word changed over the years…”

“You know how to speak Gerudo?”

“….Yeah…I know quite a bit actually…”

“Oh. That’s cool….” Lucas looks down at his hands, picking at the dirt beneath his nails. “You don’t like me very much…do you?”

“Why would you say that, Lucas?” Ray turns his head to face him, a shocked expression on his face.

“You always get quiet when I’m around, and you look really scared if I get close to you or talk to you.” He moves his arms closer to his body, fiddling with the edge of the green sleeves of the shirt he was wearing. When he had been wearing the armor he usually did, despite not wearing it properly. Lucas had a much bigger presence, but in the baggy shirt Ty had lent him, Lucas had a much smaller look to him. He looked more like the 13-year-old he was, and painfully reminded Ray of himself. Young and being forced to take on a role he never expected to have.

“I don’t dislike you, Lucas. It’s just…” Ray sighs, his eyes returning to the gauntlet on his left arm. “You…look very familiar to me.”

“Like Ganon?”

“Actually…you don’t look anything like Ganondorf. At all.” Ray chuckles a bit, his head turning back towards Lucas. “I don’t know what it is. You just look very familiar, but I can’t place it. Whoever you look like….it makes me very sad.”

“Oh…I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to be sorry, Lucas. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Oh….okay.”

“You’re 13, right? How old were you when you pulled the Master Sword?”

“10. Pulled it 3 years ago. There was one before me…he died in an accident. He was…Sean’s elder brother. He was 10 when he first pulled it too. He’d been the Knight for about 9 and a half years before he died.”

Lucas’s words caused Ray’s blood to run cold. “I…I was 10 when I pulled it too. Was sealed in a temple for 7 years….Till I was old enough to actually wield it.”

“You got…sealed away?”

Ray nods, pressing his hands to his face, and breathing out a shaky sigh. Lucas watched him a moment, silent. His eyes flitted over Ray’s hunched form, concern and confusion on his face. Eventually, his eyes landed on a small pattern etched into a piece of cloth that was tied to the belt at Ray’s waist.

Suddenly, Ray felt a tugging at the side of his belt. “Where’d you get this?” He turned his head to regard the piece of cloth Lucas was pulling at.

“I…From a friend.”

“More than a friend, clearly…”

“Excuse me?”

Lucas’s shining green eyes, ones that felt hauntingly familiar, glinted at him mischievously. “This is a Gerudo wedding tie. It’s a super super old tradition that the Gerudo have done for years. Couples are buried with these. You could only possibly have one if you stole it or are married to a Gerudo.” A devious smile broke out on Lucas’s face, as he let go of the cloth and swung around to sit fully-facing Ray. He propped his head in his hands, smiling at him. “Tell me about them.”

Ray stared at him, dumbfounded, but laughed. “Alright…fine.”

“I’d like to hear about her, too.” A deeper voice chimed from a few feet away. Gloam stood, his arms crossed, regarding the duo with an amused expression. Ray sighed, waving him over.

“Can we hear about her too?!” Tear and Zelda’s voices chimed in tandem, Ravio attempted to pull the both of them back.

“Sorry! I tried to tell em not to eavesdrop…” He gave a nervous smile beneath the purple hood, but earned a scoff from Sean, who had quickly appeared next to Gloam, latched onto his arm.

“Oh, whatever. You were just as eager to eavesdrop as they were.”

“Well, so were you!”

“Yeah, but I’m not ashamed to admit it.”

“Alright, alright! I’ll tell you guys about her.” Ray called over the small clamor. Sky, Four and Ty had also joined the group, and Ray was suddenly glad everyone had opted to be outside for most of the day instead of cramming themselves into Ty’s house.

“Where did you two meet?” Zelda was the first to ask a question, her head resting on her palm, Tear and Ravio scrunched up beside her, something she didn’t exactly look happy about. Ray smiled, his hand moving to press against the side of his face, covering part of it as a blush flooded his cheeks. While Ray was gathering the confidence to speak, Zelda forcefully pushed Tear and Ravio to the side, giving herself more room. _“You guys are so weird, scoot the hell over!”_ She whisper-yelled at them, before returning her attention to Ray.

“I…I first met her in Castle Town. I was heading to the castle when I saw her. She had given me this little medallion, I gave it back to her later on, and told me to come see her at the Gerudo Fortress. I didn’t end up meeting with her until almost a year after that, I ended up on another…semi-unwanted journey shortly after that…But… I finally did go see her, and she…adopted me? I guess…” He laughs nervously, rubbing at the back of his neck. “We had only really seen each other as siblings at first. She helped me train and everything…She’s 6 years older than me…so…”

“Damn. Gross, bro.” Sean’s voice chittered from Ray’s left. Multiple pointed looks were sent his way.

“Aren’t you like…17? And how old is Gloam?” Sky raised a brow, snorting.

“Well, for one, I’m 18. And for two, Gloam and I aren’t a thing, so it doesn’t count.” Sean gave Sky a smug look, clicking his tongue.

“Coulda fooled me…” came a mumbled response from Zelda.

“Shut it, Princess.” Sean hissed behind his teeth, earning an impish grin from the young princess.

“What made you see her differently, Ray?” Gloam’s voice cut over Sean and Zelda’s bickering, bringing attention back to Ray.

“I don’t know honestly. I had gone away for something the Princess had wanted me to do…and…I think I was about 20 when I came back. And when I saw her again, I just…. I don’t know. She looked different to me. I just….couldn’t see her as a sibling. She was…so much more than that to me.”

“What’s your favorite thing about her?” Sky’s voice was the next to be heard.

“Oh, goddesses.” Ray laughs, pressing his hands over his face. “I’ll say, one of my favorite things…would have to be the little goofy things she does, just daily. There are times where she’ll just stare at a jar on our table for a solid five minutes, and then very slowly, poke it until it falls over. We’ve lost a few jars to this. She clicks her tongue a lot, or does thing funny thing with her mouth, where it’s kind of like she’s halfway puckering his lips. She’s always messing with her hair or doing something with her hands. She can’t sit still. When she’s nervous, she’ll bounce on her feet, or wave her arms around her. She’ll just start running around the house, screeching for whatever reason, just for the fun of it, according to her! She says the weirdest things that somehow make sense. She has this smile that makes people just go silent. She can’t sing for shit but it doesn’t stop her from belting out whatever she feels like at any given time. She…” He finally stops, taking a breath. It was quiet, all eyes on him.

**“She’s like a damn Goddess to me.”**

**_“She was a Goddess. One most never knew. I’m sorry you won’t be able to meet her, Link.”_ **

**_“What was her name?”_ **

**_“Zorana…She was your grandmother…My mother.”_ **

**_“Who was your dad?”_ **

**_“His name was Link, like yours. He’s not around either anymore…though…I think you might get to meet him one day.”_ **

**_“How would that work, Daddy?”_ **

**_“I don’t know, Link. I just…have a feeling.”_ **

**_“Oh. Okay.”_ **

****

**_“I’m sorry, Link…I have to go find something…”_ **

****

**_“Link! Do you wanna help me with the goats today?”_ **

****

**_“I washed Enora for you, Link! Are you alright? You look a little down.”_ **

**_“I’m fine, Ilia. Just…thinking about things.”_ **

**_“What sort of things?”_ **

**_“Vami like you don’t need to worry about it.”_ **

**_“Vami?! I’ll have you know that even if I’m a girl, I’m still your friend, Link! You know I’m not just gonna let you suffer by yourself.”_ **

**_“I know, Ilia…It’s nothing, okay? I’m alright.”_ **

**_“Just promise me…you’ll come to me if you need something, alright?”_ **

**_“I promise.”_ **

****

**_“You are who we’ve been waiting for. The sacred beast from the world of light. My name is Bri Zavrina. I am a princess of the Twilight Realm. The Twili need your help. Will you aid us?”_ **

****

**_“Go on, Link. You will find a way to help us….I know you will.”_ **

**_“Midna, please….”_ **

**_“Hush, Bri. I’m alright. You take care of her, little Hero.”_ **

****

**_“I COULDN’T DO ANYTHING! I fucking failed to save my friends, my family. I couldn’t save Midna, I couldn’t save the princess! I COULDN’T SAVE ANYBODY! Do you know why those things were calling me that? Do you know why they called me ‘The Chained Hero’? It’s because I was supposed to be a hero, but I just got chained up like a damn dog. And I let it fucking happen! I am no fucking hero, Bri. I’m just a fucking mutt who should be put down! I CAN’T DO SHIT! The Master Sword burned my fucking hands! I can’t even touch the one thing that was supposed to save us!”_ **

**_“The Master Sword isn’t what was going to save us, Link! It was you!”_ **

**_“Well, it looks like no one’s getting saved. Because there’s a fat fucking chance I would succeed in any of that. I’m just a stupid little farmhand from a nowhere fucking village.”_ **

**_“You are a Dragmire, Link. You bear the crest of the Triforce like I do! You can win this if you just try!”_ **

**_“I’M NOT GOING TO FUCKING TRY AT SOMETHING I KNOW I’LL FAIL AT! BECAUSE THAT’S ALL I AM, BRI! A FUCKING FAILURE!”_ **

****

_Gloam?_

****

**_I failed. I couldn’t save them._ **

_Gloam._

****

**_He fucking left me alone. All to find that stupid girl._ **

_Gloam!_

**_Who even was she? Didn’t her name start with…D?_ **

****

_Gloam!!_

**_Who cares? She probably didn’t even exist._ **

****

_GLOAM!_

“Huh?” Gloam shook his head, snapping it up to regard Ray, who was now standing in front of him. Beside him, Sean stared quietly at him, a knowing, and concerned, look in his eyes. “Yeah? What is it?”

“Everybody’s gone inside. You’ve been really quiet that past hour. Are you alright?”

Gloam snickers, raising a brow at Ray. “Really? _You’re_ asking me that?”

“Oh hush. We’re alike, I guess.”

“Yeah, sure.” He snorts, standing up. “Come on. Let’s just all head to bed.”

As Gloam walked ahead of Ray, Sean latched onto his arm, a last beam of light from the setting sun caught his hair, highlighting the red tones. Something seemed to settle in Ray’s chest, a growing, unsettling feeling blooming in his limbs. It felt strangly similar to what he felt when he looked at Lucas. Something was off.

_It’s probably nothing._

**_But it’s actually everything. Isn’t it, little Hero of Time?_ **

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**“Vanity? Is the Scepter charged yet?” The whiny tone of a man sitting boredly in the large, dark purple chair echoed between the stone walls of the lab.**

**“Not yet, Mali. Not enough to do what we’re planning.” An annoyed voice barked back, belonging to another who was currently seated in front of a large scepter, topped with a lotus-shaped crystal. This answer earned a groan from Mali, who quickly rolled off of the chair and made his way over to Vanity.**

**“How many groups we gonna split em up in?”**

**“No more than 4. We only have Wraith, Bandit, Annie and Anathema available right now. Unless you want to get off your lazy ass and help them, then we could split it to five.” Vanity grunts slightly as Mali flops his weight onto Vanity’s back, arms crossed on top of his head.**

**Mali’s dark fingers tapped thoughtfully against the top of Vanity’s head, weaving into the pitch-black hair. “Mmm…You know I have to keep an eye on the little Prince.”**

**“Bullshit. The Prince is fine on his own. Hell, I could keep a better eye on him than you could anyways. All you ever do is flit around the Dark World pissing off the monsters, you don’t even watch him. You just leave me here to do all the fucking work.”**

**“Oh wah wah, Vanity.” Mali slips his arms down to encompass Vanity’s shoulders, as he stared at the bright light coming off of the large Scepter. “You know you wouldn’t be able to actually handle him on your own if he were to wake up.”**

**“Whatever, Mali. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to work on this.” Vanity shrugged him off, and returned his attention to the various inscriptions on the staff part of the Scepter.**

**An annoyed huff came from Mali, who continued to stand behind him, his arms crossed.**

**“Can I fucking help you, Mali?”**

**“Yes, you can.” Mali grabbed the back of the chair Vanity was seated in, and spun it around, before swinging his legs onto either side of Vanity, placing himself in his lap. “You can put down the dumb tools,” he grabbed the metal tool inscribed with various runes in Vanity’s hand, and threw it to the ground beside them, earning them a resounding clatter, “and focus on me.”**

**Vanity glared at him, red eyes bright beneath dark hair. Grey lips pulled up in a sneer, despite his arms moving to pull Mali forward, closer to him. “Weren’t you just whining about it taking too long for the Scepter to charge? You seriously trying to distract me now?”**

**A large grin broke out on Mali’s face, as he swung his feet out happily. “Yep!”**

**“Good fucking Fayra, you’re like a damn child!”**

**“Hey! Don’t save Mommy’s name in vain.”**

**“Whhyy do you have to call her that? You are so weird! Off!!”**

**“Nope!”**

**“Mali!!”**

**“Say my name again~”**

**“Oh my fucking goddess.”**

**“Ehehe~”**

**“If you two nasties could quit the tonsil hockey for a couple minutes? We need to know where the hell we’re going so we can get ready for that damn Scepter to start working.” A slightly amused voice interrupted Mali’s antics, causing him to shoot an annoyed glare behind Vanity.**

**Vanity snorted, pushing the rolling chair they were in away from the Scepter, and to the side, allowing him to turn it around to regard the new arrivals. He secured his arms around Mali, before leaning his head to the side to see the person speaking.**

**The purple-haired woman stood with her arms crossed, a brow raised in amusement. To her sides were 3 others. One was a rather large woman in a bright purple cloak, a dark blue, striped scarf wrapped around her waist and neck. Black hair was tied into a ponytail and pulled to the side, peeking out from the top of the scarf. The others were two boys, one with a massive shackle around his neck and the other with shackles completely covering his hands and feet.**

**“Anathema. You’ll be going to the Era of the Wild. Wraith, Era of the Hero of Time. Bandit, Era of the Great Sea. Annie, you’ll be going to your own Era. Era of Light and Dark. Now, run along. Me and Mali are very busy with…the Scepter.” Vanity smiles, sharing a knowing look with Anathema.**

**Anathema snorts. “Yeah…definitely busy with _a scepter.”_ She turns on her heel, waving as she leaves, the other 3 in tow.**

**“I really don’t like her. Her purple hair shows she’s weak, letting Light taint her. And yet she thinks she can just walk in here, uninvited.” Mali snarls, earning a laugh from Vanity.**

**“Oh, quiet. She’s one of the only Darks who isn’t just a mindless demon with no control over their powers. She’s the best we’ve got right now.” His hands slid up towards Mali’s shoulders. “Are you seriously going to pout? How about you quit being a little brat, and help me get this stupid collar off, so you can get that oh-so-coveted attention you were just asking for, huh?”**

**With kisses being pressed to his cheek, Mali huffed, still annoyed, but moved his hands to grab the large collar weighing down Vanity’s neck. “Honestly…I kinda like seeing you in this. Makes you look more like the little mutt that you are.”**

**“Oh, we both know who the mutt is in this relationship, Mali.” was Vanity’s amused response. The shackle fell from Vanity’s shoulders, and he quickly stood up, Mali still in his arms as he kicked the chair back and began walking toward the doors of the lab.**

**“Maybe I need to be reminded?”**

**“Oh, don’t worry. You will be.” Vanity broke into a run, earning excited laughter from the mischievous man clinging to him.**

**_Might as well have some fun before we destroy the Silver Goddess, right?_ **

****

****

****

****

****

****

****

_“DJ? Are you really leaving already?”_

_“Yes, babe. You know I have to.”_

_“I know….But now?”_

_“I’m not leaving for another week, you dork. I’ll be here for Chryssie and Tyler’s wedding.”_

_“But will you be here for-”_

_“Ri, oh my gosh. Yes! I will be here for it!”_

_“Alright…”_

_“I love you.”_

_“I love you, too.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ray just wants to see his damn wife again.


	8. First Embers of a Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was the first to fan the flames.

_“Do you know what you are?”_

_“What am I, Mommy?”_

_“You, my dear **Maligna,** are something precious. You were born from me and a destructive power that can end worlds. You are something valuable. Perfect. You will help me bring about change to the Light World.”_

_“Isn’t destruction bad, though, Mommy?”_

_“Destruction breeds reconstruction. Change. Renewal of what was broken. You could never be bad.”_

_“What is wrong with the Light World, though?”_

_“Many things, **Maligna**. But don’t worry about that. The only thing you need to worry about…is how you will help heal it. You will help fix it.”_

_“Will I hurt people?”_

_“Sometimes hurting people is unavoidable. But it will all work out in the end. The only people you will hurt will be the bad people. The ones that are the reason for the Light World’s corruption.”_

_“Okay…I’ll try my best, Mommy.”_

_“That’s my boy. Now run along. Mommy has a couple of things she needs to attend to.”_

_“Okay!”_

“Hi! I’m **Mali…** what’s your name?” The air was dry, the wind blowing through the field felt bitter and cold. Blood red eyes stared fearfully up at a matching pair, the white, sharp smile stark against dark grey skin. A glove-covered hand was extended towards the newcomer.

“I….I don’t know…” Their voice cracked, the newly born Dark hesitant to reach for the outstretched hand.

“Oh, right! You wouldn’t have one yet….Hmm. Come on! It’s not safe to be out here all alone! I’ll take you somewhere that you can get your bearings and such!” The newcomer finally grabbed Mali’s hand, quickly being lifted up. “You’re just a tiny little Shadow! Hey, that’s what we can call you! Shadow! I’m the only other person here right now…other than Mommy and Ghira…so why don’t we be friends!”

“Okay…”

“What’s that?” Shadow tapped his fingers against the glass container. Mali’s hand wrapped around his, moving it away.

“Don’t tap on that. It’s fragile. _That…”_ He crouches to Shadow’s level, pressing his own fingertips gently on the glass. “…is what you once were.” Black tendrils rolled and writhed within the container, and once in a while, a flash of red could be seen between them. “ _Just a baby.”_

“So that’s…another Dark?”

“Yup. Mommy’s been busy. She’s gotta get enough power to make more of these little ones so that we can take back the Light World!” Mali stood up, skipping over to one of the metal tables in the lab they were in. He grabbed a few papers, sifting through them for a moment.

Shadow stared at the pitch-black mass, a heavy weight settling on his chest. “Wh….How…how does she make them? Where do they come from?”

“They….as you and I are….are called Darks, Shadow. We are Dark versions of certain people from the Light World, from various Eras. The little one in that container…is the Dark of a boy not yet born. His title will eventually be the Hero of Time. That little one will be his Dark. And depending on how things go, he’ll eventually die at the Hero of Time’s hand. Same goes for you. Depending on how you react to your Reflection, you just might die at the hand of the Hero of the Four Sword.”

“What about you?”

“I Shattered my Reflection. So I will never leave this place. Let’s see if you can manage the same.” Mali turned slowly, a malicious expression on his face. The heavy weight in Shadow’s chest grew, making it difficult for him to breathe. The edges of his vision began to blur, and the last thing he sees are Mali’s glowing red eyes, before everything turns black.

_“So, you’re him, right?”_

_“You’ll have to kill him if you wan’t to survive.”_

_“You could never be friends with him. That’s not how it works for Darks.”_

_“NO YOU HAVE TO KILL HIM.”_

_“KILL HIM!”_

_“HE’LL JUST KILL YOU! YOU CAN’T GIVE HIM THAT CHANCE!”_

_“See? Now…you can help bring back Vaati….and then we can kill him…”_

_“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”_

_**“Shut up.”** _

__

_**“My name’s Link. You’re…the Shadow right? From before…”** _

_**“Yeah…”** _

_**“Well…how come you’re here? I’m hoping you aren’t planning on doing somethin-”** _

_**“I’m not gonna cause trouble. I just-”** _

_**“Oh, hello, Shadow!!! It’s been a while! Glad to see you still have my little cloak I made for you!”** _

_**“……Lily?”** _

__

_**“You’ll be part of us, now, Shadow. You won’t have to be alone anymore…”** _

_**“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Vio?”** _

_**“Why wouldn’t it be?”** _

_**“Because-”** _

_**“You think you’re bad? You think you’ll somehow manage to hurt us? Something might go wrong?”** _

_**“……Yeah.”** _

_**“It won’t. I promise.”** _

_**“……Mali…”** _

_**“Hellooo, little Shadow. Oh, right! You merged with that little hero, right? Now you’re called Penta! Cute, I like it~”** _

_**“What are you doing here? I thought you couldn’t leave the Dark World.”** _

_**“Oh, I’m not here. Not really. Just a copy.”** _

_**“Alright, then why is your fucking copy here?”** _

_**“Killing your little girlfriend. That little Minish girl that got to become a Hylian? Such a fairytale-like story, right? Through her adoration and determination to see you again, she carried that little Medallion all the way from her tiny home to yours! Oh, how romantic~”** _

_**“What did you do to her?!”** _

_**“Dropped her off the cliff to the south of here.”** _

_**“I’ll fucking kill you, Mali!”** _

_**“No. You won’t. Because, even if you manage to find your way back to the Dark World, you could never hope to be strong enough to kill me, now that you’ve let yourself merge with your pathetic Light. Now, go on. I bet she’s waiting for you to find her body! Byeeee~, Penta!!”** _

“WHERE THE HELL IS HE, GHIRAHIM?! WHERE IS THE HERO OF TIME’S SHADOW?! DID YOU NOT FOLLOW HIM WHEN HE WAS RELEASED?!” Mali screeched at the now-cowering Sword Spirit.

“He knocked me out, Master Mali….I-I didn’t see where he went and the monitors can’t find him…” Ghirahim yelped as Mali yanked him back by the hair, forcing his head towards the monitors that were set up above a large table.

 **“Find him, before I seal you back in that Sword for the rest of your pathetic, miserable existence. He has no control, if any of the creatures find a newborn Dark out there with none of us around, they will kill him. FIND HIM!”** Mali let go, leaving the shaking man to get to work.

Ghirahim let out a shaky breath, even shakier hands reaching out to swipe through the tabs on the monitors, frantically trying to find the lost Dark. A low whistle to his left sounded, causing him to whip his head towards the source.

Pale purple eyes blinked at him from the corner of the room, before another set of crimson red joined them. Out of the shadows in the corner, stepped _another_ **Shadow,** with a very small, but uninjured, child latched onto him. Ghirahim let out a relieved cry, quickly running towards the two.

“Oh, for Demise’s sake, little one, you almost had me beheaded! Shadow….why are you back? I thought you….” He stopped short, realization setting in at the sight of Shadow. Dark purple locks of hair framed a grey face, pale purple irises swimming in black. “You…made it to the Light World…”

“Came back to make sure you didn’t die when _he_ got out. You guys clearly don’t realize who he’s going to be connected to.” Shadow crosses his arms, the white cloak covering his right arm stark against the dark colors of himself and his surroundings. “He won’t _just_ be connected to the Hero of Time.”

“You mean….”

“The Goddesses reincarnations will be very close to him. That’s why he has so much power. You’re really fucking lucky I got sucked back here when I did. Mali would have killed you.”

“Sucked back here?”

“I didn’t come back here by choice, Ghirahim. I got sealed away. Something happened to the Four Sword, and I got ripped out of Link, and now I’m stuck here, and Lily’s spirit is wedged into my body.”

“Not little Lily…”

“Yeah, Mali threw her off the cliff by Link’s house. I think what he did has something to do with what happened to the Four Sword….I think it wanted me to save her spirit…I don’t know. But I can’t stay here….”

“Of course….I…I have someone you could go to.”

“Who?”

“……A friend. I knew her a very long time ago. Her name is **Gerrrrrrrrayehethorwjvnkcehretirgethrh**

**STOp**

**sTOp**

**“Who are you?”**

**“I don’t know.”**

**“Are you bad?”**

**“No, I’m not.”**

**“You look bad.”**

**“I’m not baD!”**

**“EIM NOTTTTTTTGTTTTTT NBAADDDD”**

**“I’m not bad.”**

**“I promise.”**

**I’m bad.**

Burning. Burning was all I could feel when I woke up. I could hear Vanity saying my name, but I couldn’t do anything. I think I threw up? I don’t know. But I couldn’t move.

**“I’m Rai.”  
**

**“You’re the little Dark the Sorceress created out of that hero’s vanity and arrogance….what a wonderful little mixture. What should we call you?”**

**“Let’s call him Vanity!”**

**“Vanity! I like that, Annie. It works.”**

**“A Dark that can create earthquakes with a simple thought….Put fissures in the earth without even moving.”**

**“A hero who failed so quickly…. _now chained up like a fucking dog.”_**

****

**“It’s cold.”**

Something’s wrong. Where am I?

**“A fucking Princess holding Power?! How is that even possible? And our master’s reincarnation is a fucking hero! AGAIN?!”**

**“He’s the only thing that can counteract Purga’s ice at this point. So we can’t get rid of him, we’ll just have to teach him how to control it.”**

**“So the heiress has finally appeared….Hello, Zoey.”**

I can’t see. Mom? What’s happening? All I can see is fire. What’s going on?!

_No…._

_The Prince is waking up._

_We have to move on._

**_~_ **


	9. To Another Goddess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the other goddess appears in their world.
> 
> Another is reminded of her mission.

**_A long time ago…in another world, there was a man who would become known as a King of Evil. He was the reincarnation of an ancient evil that wished to fill the world with his malice and hatred. Little did this man know, that he’d bring into the world the very people who’d be instruments in his death._ **

**_There were 5._ **

**_Two were born to his first wife, a woman named Zakiya Haveris. She was what was known as a mage, a woman born with abilities that were usually born to another race. She gave birth to the twins Luca and Zorana. The only thing Luca inherited from their mother was her singing voice. Zorana, however, she inherited the much of the same abilities, though she fell out of practice of them at an early age, after their mother died._ **

**_They were only 3 years old when their father remarried, at the request of their mother herself, and another was brought into the world._ **

**_Her name was Zarinia. She was born from a Sheikah woman, whose name has been lost to time. She was said to be the granddaughter of a famous Sheikah warrior, called Sha. She was killed when her caravan was attacked only a year after Zarinia was born._ **

**_Zarinia was only 2 years old when the final two were brought into the world._ **

**_A woman named Gabriana, a Gerudo from another tribe, arrived in Hyrule, and immediately, was the man taken with her._ **

**_He had no idea the horror she would unknowingly bring upon his children._ **

**_Shortly after marrying, Gabriana brought another set of twin girls into the world._ **

**_Rosantheum and Skylar._ **

**_Rosantheum was giving to the Shadow-like Beasts that had begun to appear all over the Gerudo Desert._ **

**_Skylar was left to die in the Lost Woods._ **

**_Gabriana regretted her decisions as soon as she made them, and begged for the man to spare her life so that she may try to save their children. The man told her he never had any intention on punishing her. She was only doing what the gods told her to. He understood what was happening, though he could not hope to stop it._ **

**_Time went on._ **

**_Skylar lived in the Lost Woods and Kokiri Forest as a Skull Kid, and helped to raise the soon-to-be Hero._ **

**_Rosantheum would sneak to the Ranch in Hyrule Field to escape the terrors being wrought upon her in the desert._ **

**_Zarinia left when she was 8. Hid out in Kakariko Village, oftentimes assisting with watching over the princess of the kingdom._ **

**_Luca, despite being the eldest, was deprived the title of Heir to becoming the Chieftain of the Gerudo, that title being given to her younger twin._ **

**_Zorana was being trained to be a Queen._ **

****

**_These women were more than just the daughters of the King of Evil._ **

**_They were all the physical embodiments of the different pieces of the Triforce, the reincarnations of the Goddesses._ **

**_Luca, as Din, the Goddess of Power._ **

**_Zarinia, as Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom._ **

**_Skylar, as Farore, the Goddess of Courage._ **

**_Zorana, as Delilah, the Silver Goddess._ **

**_Rosie was the reincarnation of the Goddess of Chaos, but for some reason, the power was dormant within her._ **

**_With the little princess of the kingdom completing their group, being the blood reincarnation of the White Goddess, their bodies reformed the Tetraforce within the soul of the world, and awakened an evil even older than the Demon King himself._ **

**_The Black Goddess of Chaos, Fayra._ **

**_When the battle between her and the Goddesses Delilah and Hylia happened in the beginning of the world, she was defeated and sealed away. She would only be awakened when the three blood incarnations of them walked the earth together once more. She now had a chance to leave the dark world she was sealed in, but something stopped her._ **

**_She decided to instead use this as a chance to concoct a plan. With her seal broken and the ability to have free reign of movement through worlds present once more, she took the souls of the dark creatures she had been creating and spread them through the worlds. Shadows grew, causing those bound to the darkness to become stronger, even in times that did not exist yet. Her Shadow Creatures reached worlds that had no connection to Hyrule before, but were now bound to it by the power of her entropy._ **

****

**_When the Hero returned from another Era, and the timelines split into three, something happened in the dark world that held the Black Goddess._ **

**_A single sliver of light shone down from their sky, washing over her face. It warmed her skin, and whispered into her ear, of something she did not expect._ **

_“You will be loved, one day, Goddess, by the very being you hate the most. And their love with be never-ending, and unbeatable.”_

**“So you’re the new arrival, huh?”**

**“I hate being alone. I guess that’s why I’ve latched onto you.”**

**“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?! DO YOU THINK YOU’RE SOME KIND OF HERO?! SOME KIND OF SAVIOR THAT’S GOING TO FIX ALL OF THESE FUCKED UP PEOPLE?!”**

**“Listen here, _Princess._ I don’t give a damn if you somehow got everyone else here under some sort of spell, if everyone else here fucking adores you. I don’t. And I don’t need you trying to preach to me about the importance of any relatives I have left. I killed him, and that was on me.”**

**“So, we can can see fireworks from other places from here?**

**“How come such a _helpful and sweet girl like you…. Can be such a brutal killer at the same time?”_**

****

**“ALL I HAVE LEFT IS THEM! EVERYBODY ELSE IS GONE!”**

**“I am something bad. I am not a savior, I am not some benevolent being who will save the world. I am just an idiotic teenager who thought they could play god and decided to kill people. That is all I am. And I have started something really fucking bad, and I can’t stop it.”**

**_“You are the reborn soul of someone very special, DJ. She was a friend of my own predecessor. There are a lot of bad things out there. You can’t leave here just yet. It is just too dangerous.”_ **

****

**_“What is that?”_ **

**_“This? This…is what we call the Barrier. This little orb holds our entire world in it. All of its realities, all of its timelines. It protects us, keeps us where we need to be, so that we don’t fall apart.”_ **

****

**_“Promise you’ll be back soon?”_ **

**_“I promise.”_ **

**_“I love you.”_ **

**_“I love you, too.”_ **

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

_“GUYS! ANOTHER PORTAL IS OPENING UP!”_

_“WHERE ARE WARRIOR AND ZOEY?!”_

_“GUYS WE HAVE TO HURRY!!”_

_“THERE ARE MORE PORTALS OPENING!!!”  
  
  
  
  
_

_“NO!”_

“Hey….heeeyyy. Are you alright? _Fiz, I don’t know what to do. Are you able to carry him?”_ Hands pressed against Lucas’s shoulders, gently shaking him.

 _“I can try, Birdie. But the closest stable is pretty far away, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to use the Sheikah Slate while he’s in this condition.”_ Another voice reached his ears, causing more confusion.

 _“The others are all unconscious, except one. He said his name is Sean. He seems uninjured, but the little girl has a nasty cut on her head.”_ A woman’s voice was the next to speak. _“This kid….he has voe armor on…is he Gerudo?”_

_“The Gerudo haven’t had a male since the First Calamity, Zelda.”_

_Zelda? But that’s not Zelda’s voice. Wait, what’s going on?_ Lucas coughed, before attempting to sit up.

“Woah, woah! Easy kid….you had a shit landing, try and go a bit slower.” Green eyes met blue, and an odd sense of familiarity washed over him.

“Z..Zelda…Where is she? My Zelda… Where is she” He keeps trying to sit up, frantically looking around, before his eyes finally settle on his princess’s unconscious form, her head propped up by a small, rolled up blanket. “Aoife…” He tries to reach out a hand towards her, but falls back, barely catching himself with his other arm.

“Sweetheart, you need to try and relax. Your friend, her name is….Zelda?” The woman’s voice sounded again, and Lucas stared at her a moment, her short blonde hair bringing back tiny flashes of memories.

“Her…her name is Zelda. She…she’s my cousin, I’m supposed to protect her. Is she alright?” His head turns back to where Zelda was laying, his eyes filled with worry.

“She’s fine, dear. This is Fiz…” She points to a third person, one with light purple hair, and pupiless eyes that seemed to swim in a pool of black. “He found you and your friends…And that is…Wild. He’s helped us treat you all. You can call me…Sil…What is your name, dear?”

“L..Lucasari…Friends call me Lucas.” As soon as he says his name, all three of them seem to freeze, looks of shock on Wild and Sil’s face. The only one not shocked is Fiz, who simply sighs, before extending a hand to Lucas.

“Come on…Your friend Sean is worried bout ya…” He pulled him up, Lucas’s head barely reaching above Fiz’s shoulder. He wasn’t as tall as Gloam, but he was definitely taller than most of the people from the group. From this proximity, Lucas could see the streaks of blue worming their way through the white, pupiless irises Fiz had, surrounding by black sclera.

“What….are…”

“A Dark. I’m a Dark, Lucasari. I believe you’ve seen some before, haven’t you?”

“I…I don’t remember.”

“You probably don’t. Come on.” He pulls Lucas’s arm over his shoulder, helping him sit down by a nearby tree, as Sean’s blanket-wrapped form makes his way to Lucas’s side.

“What did you mean by all that, Fiz?” Wild looks at Fiz with a confused look, his arms crossed.

“That kid is Riju’s future great-grandson. I’ve met him before. You seem to forget the Dark World has access to all Eras at once. Also….Sil? Really, Princess? Like….Silent Princess? Was that your train of thought?” Fiz cackles when his words earn a smack from the blonde woman.

“Oh, shush! It was all I could think of! I didn’t want to confuse him. The little girl’s name was also Zelda, I didn’t want to have to try and explain….” She huffs, crossing her arms.

“Yeah, that’s your great-granddaughter, actually.”

“Figured.”

“What about Sean?” Wild’s eyes land on the young man who was now falling asleep on Lucas’s arm. “Do you know he is?”

“He’s the younger brother of the next hero. Sheikah kid. His brother died, unfortunately…” Fiz rubs his nose, seeming to become more and more uncomfortable with the conversation. “Lucas was the next to pull the sword, just about…a few months after? I don’t really remember. Time doesn’t actually…pass the same for me.”

“He pulled it 6 months after Link died…He’d been my knight since I was born. I was almost 10 when he died.” A strained voice answers the unasked question. “Hello again, Fissure.”

“Hey, Aoife.” Without missing a beat, Fiz quickly moves to help her sit up. She tries to wave him off, to no avail.

“Wait, you know him? Like, personally?” Wild quickly approaches the two, rifling through his bag.

“Yeah…Met him about a year ago. Well…a year for me. It’s about 200 or so years from now. Who all is here? Is it just Lucas and Sean? No one else?” Aoife coughs, taking the bottle of red liquid Wild hands her.

“Yeah, seems like it. We didn’t find anybody else, at least not nearby.” Fiz allows her to lean on his arm, as she pulls the blanket around her closer to her body.

After a moment, Aoife’s eyes land on the other princess. “You’re Zelda, right? My great-grandmother. I’ve seen pictures of you in the castle. My mom’s obsessed with keeping them up, even though they’re falling apart. I know the whole multiple Zeldas thing is gonna be confusing, so just call me Aoife. If those two hear you saying it, they’ll follow suit so don’t worry.”

“O-oh…Yeah. Yes. Hello.” Zelda clasps her hands in front of her, bowing slightly. “You…So your…mother…is my granddaughter? Do you…know who…”

“Her grandfather is?” Aoife smirks. “No. I don’t. Nobody knew his name, but he was apparently from Kakariko Village. I never really focused on that side of my family. I only really gave a shit bout Lucas and them. He’s my cousin.”

“That’s right, since he’s Riju’s, he’d also be Urbosa’s. You got a…great-great….great? Nephew? Shit, how does that work?” Wild chuckles, getting to work on fixing up the cut on Aoife’s head. “Hero’s child, and all that, right?”

Zelda clears her throat. “Right…So…that means Lucas is descended from…”

“The First Calamity’s Hero. Yeah. I’m surprised you know about that.”

“We recently found it out. I…Me, Wild and Fissure have been traveling around, trying to see if we can find out more about my true heritage.”

Aoife hums. “I’m guessing you succeeded, since I was taught about it when I was 4. My mom was obsessed with all of that. Especially yo- What the fuck are you doing?!” She whips her right arm out, yanking it from Wild’s grip. “The hell is your problem?!” She cradled it close to her chest, snarling.

“Your hand…you have the crest…of the Triforce.” Wild stares at her, shocked.

“Yeah, no shit. I’m a fucking Zelda.”

“N-no. It…it’s different. Zelda had….the whole thing glowing….You just have…that top triangle glowing. What does that mean?”

“None of your fucking business, _Champion._ So fuck off!” She hissed out at him, covering her hand under her other arm. Wild backs off, but his eyes don’t leave her for a few moments. “It’s nothing but a stupid birthmark to me.” She whispers, gritting her teeth.

“Well, once you all feel like you can walk, we’ll try and get to the next stable. Since you’re injured, it wouldn’t be a good idea to use the Slate.” Fissure takes the bright blue cloak from around his shoulders and wraps it around Aoife. She nods, her eyes landing and staying on the two boys a short distance in front of her. By now, Sean had fallen asleep against Lucas, who was now dozing off.

She sighed.

_Something really bad is about to happen….I can feel it._

_**“Sorry, sweetheart. I don’t want to hurt you…so I’ll try not to let you get caught in the crossfire…”** _

_**“Anathema! Are you ready to go?”** _

_**“Yeah, Annie…I’m ready.”** _

_To the Era of the Wild, then._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 _“Well, well….Looks like we got a stowaway on our ship.”_ Brown eyes met blue, as DJ’s sight slowly came back into focus, locking onto a woman with short blonde hair crouching above her. Also standing above her, was a very tall woman with bright red hair and expressionless green eyes, and a young girl with blonde braids and red scarf tied around her face.

The blonde woman helped her sit up, and into her view came a fourth person. A young man with short blonde hair, and brown eyes that felt extremely familiar. “Well, hello there, missy. Where the hell did you come from?”

“It seemed like she just fell from the sky, brother.” The young girl bounced up to his side, hopping up to sit on the railing he was leaning on.

DJ began to take in her surroundings, realizing she was on a huge boat, with a small group of what she was guessing were crew members, peeking at her from various parts of the ship.

“What’s your name, girlie?” The woman at her side, with the blonde hair, looked her over, clearly suspicious.

“D….DJ…I think.” Her voice came out raspy, and a fit of coughs forced their way out of her throat.

“Easy. You think?” The red-haired woman at her side held DJ’s shoulders, as another girl with bright green and purple hair floated over to them, a small glass of water in her hands. She accepted, taking small sips from it.

“I…can’t remember much.”

“Hm…Well, DJ. I’m Tetra. The redhead there is Rana, the little gremlin there is Serenity. Those two over on the rail are Link and his little sister, Aryll. We call Link ‘Torrent’ most of the time, though, so it’s probably better if you call him that too. The little shitheads peeking at us from around the ship are my crew. You’ll learn their names eventually, if they decide to give em to ya.” Tetra and Rana helped her up.

“Where’d you come from, girlie?” Torrent tilts his head, leaning back with his arms against the railing. DJ noticed the hourglass-shaped pendant hanging from a chain round his neck, and something about it felt familiar as well.

“I….I don’t remember.”

“Huh.” He clicks his tongue, his eyes clearly sizing her up. “Welp. Long as you don’t try to kill anybody, you’re welcome to stay with us till you remember. Try any shit, though, we will gut you like a fish.”

“Torrent!” Serenity hisses at him, glaring. He makes a face at her, sticking his tongue.

“Aw, come on, she knows I’m kiddin.”

“No, I don’t think she does.”

“Aaaggghh.” Torrent flops back on the railing, his head hanging off the edge.

_Oh, this is going to be a very weird day._

**~**


	10. The Stories They Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story isn't just about Hyrule.
> 
> We are Home-bound as well.

_“Wait! DJ….Where have you said that name before?” Blue eyes stared in wonder at the tired figure sitting on the counter top. **  
**_

_“I’ve mentioned her once or twice before, in my other stories, Tenn.” Brown eyes stared back, an amused glint hidden in an otherwise blank expression._

_“Who is she, though?”_

_“You’ll find out eventually, Tenn.”_

_“But Twiittcchhhhyyyy! I wanna knooowww!!”_

_“Whining won’t get you anywhere, Tenn. How about you just listen?” A knocking on the front door of the house interrupted them, and Tenn jumped up, quickly jogging towards the door to answer it._

_A man with long black hair that seemed to reach his waist stood on the porch. Over his mouth was a black and red metal facemask, which covered the entire lower-half of his face._

_“Uhh…is Twitch here?”_

_“Oh! Yeah! Twitchy!! Some dude he’s for you!”_

_“That’s JJ.” Twitch jumped off the counter, crossing their arms as they regarded the new arrival. “What do you want?”_

_“Your dad wants you home. I had gone over to see if you were home, and he told you aren’t answering your phone again.”_

_“Well, tell him I’m fine. Just hanging out with Sophia like I told him.” They grit their teeth while speaking, their words hissing out._

_“I think you should tell him yourself, Twitch.” JJ looked at them expectantly, also crossing his arms, purposefully mimicking Twitch’s stance. They sigh, a growl rolling out underneath it._

_“Fine. I’ll see ya tomorrow, Tenn.” Twitch grabs their bag from by the door, and exits the house._

_“Oh…see ya, Twitchy!” The small redhead waves bye to their friend, closing the door and turning to head back towards her kitchen._

_She looks into the living room, just by her front door, and jumps when she notices the TV, now on and full of static._

_“Weird….We haven’t even been in here…” On the screen, random flashes of green would flood the entirety of it, before returning to the classic radio static. Tenn goes to turn it off, but every time she’d press the power button, the screen would just flash that green color, as if in protest._

_Finally, she yanked the power cord from the wall, and the screen went black._

_“Well, that was just unnecessary…” She turns to head out of the room._

_**“You shouldn’t have done that.”** _

__

_She screams, flailing back and almost knocking into the TV. She manages to catch herself just before crashing down, and whips her head around to try and find the source of the voice._

_Just in the corner, by the door, all Tenn can see is a silver glow seeming to form a cracked pattern in the shadows._

_**“Do you believe in what they say, Tenn? Or do you think they are really just stories? I think it’d be a smart idea to start thinking about the stories they tell.”** _

__

__

_**Reality isn’t always what it seems.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehehehe~


	11. Separation Anxiety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ravio has really bad separation anxiety.

_“That’s strange. It’s seems you already had a reservation.”_

_“If it’s something that can be stopped, then just try and stop me!”_

_“If I could give back the Triforce of Courage, I would, Skylar. In a damn heartbeat.”_

_“You smell like that fairy boy who taught me that song in the woods.”_

_“Link! ….Thank you.”_

_“My father would tell me stories….of a land he went to as a child. It was a beautiful land, but when he went there, it was being plagued by an imp in an evil mask. That imp…he lives in this world now, and he’s no longer being controlled by that mask, luckily. But he almost brought the moon down on that land, to destroy it. But my father was able to save it. He was a hero, you know.”_

_“Will I be a hero someday?”_

_“Honestly, Link, I hope not. Because being a hero means something is in danger. And I hope this land can have a moment of rest, so you can live your life.”_

_**It’s never that easy, though, is it?** _

_“A divine beast….from the world of Light…”_

_“We are both descendants of Ganondorf, Link. You and I have the same afflictions. We both cannot use powers that were given to us. Powers that could save our worlds. So do not sit there and tell me I don’t understand what is happening.”_

Ray wakes to Gloam’s voice, and the feeling of being shaken.

“Ray! Come on, you gotta get up. There’s a lot of fucking monsters out here…” Large hands pull him up. “Come on, _Dragmire_. We gotta go!” The sun’s light forced Ray to keep his eyes shut, as Gloam hoisted up to start walking.

Everything seemed to move slowly for Ray, his vision fading in and out. He heard his name from Gloam a few times, but he couldn’t move his mouth to respond. Soon enough, he felt the soft cushioning of a bed beneath him. Something wet and cool pressed against his cheek and forehead, before a familiar voice reached his ears.

“You never were good at passing through portals, Link.”

Ray’s eyes blinked rapidly, as he tried to force them to focus on the person before him. Deep purple locks of hair framed a wooden face, glowing green eyes staring down at him with an amused yet concerned expression. He looked around the room, catching sight of another person in the room, this one with a white skull-like mask covering their face. They were sitting up on the table situated a few feet from the end of the bed.

“Sk…Skylar….and Skull…”

“Easy, Link. You need to rest. You always seem to have shit luck when it comes to crossing through worlds.” The woman beside him chuckles, the bones and beads hanging off her sleeve clinking together as she moves to push him back to a lying position.

“Where am I?”

“Termina….Welcome back to Clock Town, fairy boy.” The Skull Kid chirps from the table, kicking his feet back and forth.

“Please, tell me you aren’t going to bring the moon down this time.”

“No promises~”

“I will kick your ass.”

“I have no doubt you will, Link, with that giant ass cut on your head.”

“Fuck you.”

“Ew, no. You’re like, technically my brother, that’s weird.”

“Is there something nearby that I can throw at him?”

“Here.” Skylar hands Ray the cloth she had been pressing against his face. Ray promptly takes it and chucks it at Skull Kid, who easily dodges it, cackling.

“I see he’s lucid.” A tired voice sounds from Ray’s left. Ray turns, catching sight of the newest member, sitting on the edge of the other bed, closer to the open window, allowing the sounds of the lively town to stream into the room.

“I see you’re still a dick.” Gloam’s voice sounds from the doorway. “Did you manage to get hold of any weapons before we all got split up, Ty?”

Ty holds up the sheathed white sword he had during the group’s first encounter with him. “Just barely managed to grab it.”

“Wait, split up? So…the others aren’t…” Skylar helps Ray sit up, propping him up with a few pillows.

“They aren’t here, Ray. We tried to look around, but Termina Field is fucking full of monsters. And Ty and I aren’t exactly primed for battle, neither are you. The old man let us use his telescope to see if we could see anything, while you were unconscious, but we couldn’t find them. It’s likely they’re in a completely different world and Era right now.”

“Damn it…I hope they’re alright.”

“They’ll be fine. They’re all stubborn as shit. They’re all heroes, and the ones that aren’t, are tough little brats who will be just fine.” Ty snorts, grunting slightly as he swivels to lay back on the bed. “I’m taking a fucking nap, so y’all better shut up.”

Skylar snorts, rolling her eyes. “You heroes all have the same little attitude sometimes. Probably get it from me…”

“Oh they definitely get it from you.” Skull Kid snickers, earning a smack from the woman as she approaches the table he was sitting on.

“Wait…” Ty says from the bed, before sitting up again. “What does that mean? We get it from you?”

Skylar doesn’t answer, simply holding Ty’s stare with a ghost of a smile. He scoffs, flopping back down.

“Fucking cryptic motherfuckers. Of course you wouldn’t tell me. Whatever.”

“Well, me and the two Skull-Brats are gonna leave so you can two can rest.” Gloam sighs, holding the door open for Skylar and Skull Kid. “Try not to die or anything while we’re gone.”

“No promises.” Ty and Ray manage to say in tandem, earning a snort from Ty.

It’s silent after the door shuts, before Ty sighs, turning to lay on his back.

“She’s one of the goddesses, isn’t she?”

“What?” Ray turns his head towards Ty, a shocked expression on his face.

“She’s one of the goddesses. You can see it in her eyes. That inhuman glow, the magic pouring off of her. You can’t possibly tell me you don’t know. You know you can feel the Triforce of Courage resonating with her presence.”

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bullshit, Link.”

Ray is silent, staring down at his hands. As if to mock his denial of Ty’s words, the crest of the Triforce glows a bit, before settling down.

“So….I call you ‘Gloam’? You’re from the Era just after Ray’s. And you know us?” Skylar walks beside Gloam, Skull Kid floating in the air just next to her.

“Yeah…I’ve met you a few times. I’ve only met Skull Kid once that I can remember, though I was only maybe 5 or 6 years old at the time.” Gloam walks with his arms crossed, his eyes on the ground in front of him.

“Haha, I bet she’s all old and gross by then.” Skull Kid snickers, batting at Skylar’s hair.

“I literally don’t fucking age, SK.” Skylar swats his hand away, him deftly evading it and continuing to mess with her, now trying to poke her cheek.

“Oooollllldddd ladddyyyy~” He continues to poke her face, and eventually Skylar gets fed up with it, whipping her arm out to yank him into a headlock, his large hat falling off. She catches it with her free hand and places it on her own head, continuing to walk along with Skull Kid trapped between her arm and her side.

Gloam chuckles, staring up at the various banners and decorations donning the buildings in the town. “Is there some kind of celebration or something happening?”

“Carnival of Time is in a week. It’s an annual festival Terminians have here in Clock Town, to honor the Four Giants and give prayers for a good harvest.” Skylar sighs, a small smile tugging at her mouth as she stares up at the sky.

“Ah….”

“You look like him, you know.” After a moment of silence, Skylar speaks again.

“What?”

“You look like him. Link. My Link. And Zorana. You look just like them. You have your great-grandfather’s hair though, and his nose. But you have your grandfather’s eyes and face, your grandmother’s gentle nature. You look just like them. I may not know your father or mother yet, but I’m sure you have similarities to them as well.”

“How do you know about that?”

“I know about all the heroes, Gloam. Being an incarnation of Farore does wonders for ya, you know?” She smiles, shaking her head.

“There is a very troublesome little spirit on its way here, you know….I hope you are ready to defend those two and this town.”

“I know…I’m ready.”

“Are you sure about that?”

_No, I’m not, honestly._

**It wasn’t until night that he arrived. A little whisper, whistling through the shadows of the night. The face of the moon was visible, it being a clear night. The old aura of foreboding had returned, though this time, it wasn’t for the heavenly body hanging in the sky.**

**It was for the hellish terror crawling from the ground, bringing a heat worse than the Underworld’s itself with it.**

**Fiery sparks spit from his cheeks, cracked black fingers digging into the melting earth, struggling for purchase on the soft earth of Termina Field. The many monsters roaming the Field fled, able to sense the raw and unchecked power pouring off the small, dark creature like the flow of lava from a volcano.**

**His angered screech rang through the quiet night’s air, and our Termina-bound heroes woke to the sense of dread and fear that quickly permeated the town.**

**The scream of a furious wraith.**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_“You alright, girlie?”_ Torrent’s voice snapped DJ out of her stupor.

“U-uh….um…yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Just…trying to see if I can…piece any memories together.” She fiddles with the buckle to the silver belt at her waist, keeping her eyes on her hands.

“Mm..Well. Try not to strain yourself too much. They’ll come back in their own time. If you’re feeling up to it, you can come join us to eat? Plus you’ll get to meet the other little stowaways we found. They landed on our ship shortly before you did.” Torrent stood up, extending a hand to her. She stares at it a moment, but stands up without taking it.

Torrent mouths an ‘okay’, followed by a nod, pulling his hand back. “Just follow me, then…” He gives an awkward cough, leading her to the lower part of the ship. “Serenity! Got the new one to come join us!”

“Oh! That’s good. Come here, dear!” The curly-haired woman from before extended a hand to DJ, but she avoided it, slightly stepping to the side. Serenity gave her a confused look, but just shook her head, waving her over to sit next to young girl with braids. Serenity shared a look with Torrent, who simply shrugged, making a face and moving his hand in a claw shape.

 _“I don’t think she really trusts us yet. Might wanna give it time.”_ He whispers to her. Serenity nods.

“Well…you said your name is DJ, right?” Tetra spoke up, staring at DJ. DJ returns her stare, her brown eyes holding an almost intimidating glare.

“Yes, I believe so. Like I said, I don’t remember much….Who are the others that appeared on your ship? The blonde boy said there were two others that appeared shortly before I did.” Her eyes didn’t leave Tetra’s, and the whole room could feel the tension radiating off of the captain.

“Ah, that would be us, dear.” A tired voice pulled DJ’s attention from Tetra, to another blonde with a large cloak embroidered with four fanciful flowers. “My name is Four, this is Sky.” Four points to the man beside him, who seemed a bit worse for wear, his hair damp and sticking to his head.

“Is he alright?” DJ’s expression changes at the sight of Sky, whose face was flushed.

“I’m fine, miss.” Sky says, his voice cracking in at the ‘miss’, making his statement a bit less believable.

“You have a fever. Is there anything being done to treat it?”

“I…I’m fine.”

“So that’s a no?”

“Um….”

DJ sighs, clicking her tongue. “Shouldn’t something be done about this?”

“No, miss. I really am alright. I’m just not used to…this kind of climate. I’m used to it being….a lot cooler. I’ll be fine, really.”

“Tch. Suit yourself, Sky. Don’t whine when you get heatstroke.”

“Do you really not remember anything?” Torrent attempts to break the tension. “I mean….do you just not remember anything about yourself?”

“I can’t remember any part of my life, no. Concepts and words and all that, yes. I can remember. There are certain things I can think of and remember how to do, but the rest of it is blurry and I can’t remember faces or names or events. Does that answer your question?”

“Wow. You really don’t like us, do you?”

“I don’t trust you.”

“Fair enough.”

Torrent goes silent, his eyes flickering from the table to DJ and back. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, she stands up.

“Where are you going? You gotta eat you know.”

“Actually, I don’t ‘gotta’.” She quickly climbed the ladder leading to the deck, leaving the rest of the group.

Torrent drops his head onto the table. It’s silent for a moment, before Aryll speaks up.

“Y’all fucking suck at talking to women.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We’ll be hitting land soon…Should probably have the boys get ready for that…” Torrent had his cheek pressed against Serenity’s arm as she was spreading out a map in front of her. “Anjean was going to be sending some of the older residents to see if they can map out more of the Tracks, so we need to make sure we get all the right shit to them as soon as possible. Rana’s not gonna be on the ship to help, so it might take a little longer than usual.”

“Okay.” Serenity responded with a quiet voice.

“Are you alright?” He moved his head so that his chin rested on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“That girl…DJ…she…seemed really familiar to me. I don’t know why.”

“You think maybe she has some relation to Skylar?”

“Yes, actually. I do.”

Torrent stands up straight, then moves to stand just beside Serenity, leaning over the table in front of them to see her face. “What? Ni, I was kidding. How….”

“I think she’s from our future, Link. Not just ours, either….I think she’s from everyone’s future. Across all the timelines.”

He goes silent, staring down at the map Serenity had laid out. He sighs, tapping his fingers on the table.

“You know, Serenity!” He suddenly says, very loudly, causing her to jump. “I really don’t like eavesdroppers! I just always find it so disrespectful to listen in on other peoples’ conversations! I mean, I know I did it as a kid, but I grew up and got over it! But it seems some habits die fucking hard for some people!” She stares at him wide-eyed.

“What-” He cuts her off, jabbing his thumb in the direction of a darker corner of the room they were in.

“It’s a nasty habit, I know…but I just couldn’t help it….Guess you could say I like to lurk in the Shadows.” A low, tired voice rasped from the corner, as Four stepped out, the dark circles under his eyes seeming to have gotten worse then they were earlier.

“Who’s your little friend?” Torrent crosses his arms, leaning against the table.

Crimson lights blinked into existence just behind Four, a white smile forming just beneath them.

“Shadow’s the name.” Another voice sounded, though the smile did not move according to it. “Sorry to barge in. But, we know who the girl is, and we thought you’d appreciate the information.”

“Oh please, enlighten us.”

“Her name is most definitely DJ, though of course it isn’t her full name. She’s from about a few thousands years into a friend of ours’ timeline. Specifically 2,000 years after the Hero of Time’s Era.” Four moves to sit in a nearby chair, his breathing a bit strained as he eases himself to sit, the shadow behind him moved quickly to curl around the back of the chair.

“Are you alright?” Serenity looks at him, concerned, already moving to take a step towards him.

He waves her off, shaking his head. “I have some issues with my leg and my breathing, but I’m fine. The ocean air makes it a bit difficult. I just have to get used to it. Anyways…yes, she does have a relation to the Goddess of Courage’s incarnation. She’s her niece… Well..sorta.”

“How exactly do you have all this information?” Torrent narrows his eyes at the tired man, a snarl pulling at his lips.

“Let’s just say Shadow has some…connections.” Four smirks, the smile of the being behind him widening.

“Another thing….there is a rather…unsavory being that is going to be making his way through your kingdom soon. Those of the Dark World call him “Bandit”. He is a bit dense, so if you play your cards right, you should be able to outsmart him. But he is a younger thing, so his powers are going to be much more powerful and uncontrollable than others.” Shadow quickly moves along the ground, but scuttling up the table, pointing to a spot on the map. “That tower of yours, the one that those little Tracks come out of. He will come from there.”

“Got any other _tips_ for us, _Shadow?_ ” Torrent sneers, earning a smack on the arm from Serenity. “What?! He’s a fucking Shadow, why should we trust him? Hell, why the fuck are we trusting the people that came with him?”

“Because they are heroes as well, Link!” Serenity hisses at him, Torrent responding with a scoff.

“Bandit is sound-oriented. He can’t see, but he can hear very well, and can feel the vibrations of peoples’ movements. So we’d need to move fast and make sure we’re ready before he gets here. He’s also incredibly fast, and he can scream loud enough to shatter glass.”

“Damn…” Torrent makes a face, sighing. “I think I know of a way to combat it though….”

“And what’s that?”

Torrent smirks. “Just a bit of…” a small, elegantly carved baton appears in his hand, magic swirling around it. “Light music…to drown out the other noise.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Where the fuck is Tear?! WHERE IS HE!!” 

“Ravio, you need to calm down!” Zoey grabbed onto Ravio’s arm, struggling to keep him from running off.

“I can’t fucking calm down! I- ….I am supposed to be looking after him. I promised Pierce, I can’t fucking fail this like I failed in Lorule. We have to find him.” He tore his arm from Zoey’s grip, flailing his hands around. His breathing was quickly becoming more and more heavy, as he started compulsively running his hands through his hair.

“Ravio. We need to stop, and breathe, and try to think rationally, so that maybe we can find him quicker. We just got separated from everybody. We have no idea where the others are. We know Tear is in this Era because he was with us when we first woke up. So we need to calm down, and try to think of where he could have possibly gone.” Warrior’s voice was hesitant, trying not to set the already-panicking man off more.

“I-I can’t, I can’t fucking fail again! I’m supposed to look after him, I’m supposed to protect him. I’m weak as shit and do stupid stuff and I’m terrified of any and everything, but… He….is the only thing I’ve done right. I can’t….” Ravio seemed to choke on air, struggling to breathe properly.

“Ravio, listen to me. Warrior is right. We need to stop for a moment, and see if we can figure out a possible place he could have gone. Do you have any idea where he could have gone, since he wasn’t at his house or in Kakariko?” Zoey held onto Ravio’s shoulders, trying to keep him from curling onto the ground.

“PIERCE!! HE WENT TO PIERCE!!” He chokes on his words, scrambling to stand up straight, wrenching himself away from Zoey and taking off in a sprint.

“RAVIO!!” Zoey and Warrior share a look, before quickly running after him.

**(WARNING!!! JUST UNDER THIS THERE ARE SOME POSSIBLY TRIGGERING THEMES!!! THIS INCLUDES ALLUSIONS TO SEXUAL ASSAULT! THERE IS NOTHING GRAPHIC OR DETAILED BUT YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH TELL WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN! IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH EVEN ALLUSIONS TO SUCH A TOPIC, PLEASE SKIP TO THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!)**

_“Please get off of me.” Tear’s voice cracked, his breathing shaky with fear._

_“Why, dear? I’m only trying to **help~”** The woman’s sickly sweet voice purred into his ear, her razor sharp nails digging into his arms. One of her hands trailed along the side of his neck down his shoulder. “Just trying to make sure you don’t have any injuries…You and your friends didn’t exactly land well….”_

_“Please just let go…”_

_“Not until I make sure you’re okay~”_

_“I’m fine! JUST LET G-ACK!” The hand that had been moving down his arm shot towards his neck, causing his head to slam into the stone wall behind him._

_**“I suggest you don’t backtalk me, sweetheart.”** Her hot breath fanned over his cheek, teeth like knives a mere inch from Tear’s face. The woman’s other hand, that had been digging into his arm, was now pressing against his stomach, slowly inching his tunic up. The one that was at his neck slipped up to grip his cheeks, forcing his head up._

_His eyes were quickly filling with tears, as he stared fearfully up at the woman’s dark red eyes, pitch-black hair peaking out of a familiar purple, rabbit-like hood._

_**“Don’t fight me, and I won’t kill you. I might even let you get back to your friends. So just try and keep quiet….Actually… If you want to scream, you can. Honestly, I like the ones that are more vocal.”** Her nose pressed against his cheek, a low chuckle bubbling up from her throat._

**I wanna go home.**

**~~**


	12. Losing Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tyrant will lose everything, including his mind.

_“I WAS THE HERO. NOT YOU! YOU WERE JUST THE ONE THAT TOOK MY LIFE FROM ME!”  
_

_“No, that’s not true…that’s not true… You…you’re just a hallucination. That’s all it is. Ami was right, I’m sick, I need rest. I’m seeing things…”_

_“Ami isn’t Ami! She died 5 years ago, you idiot! That’s the princess, the younger Zelda. You know this, you just don’t want to admit it.”_

_“No… You’re wrong. I’m me…I’m Link….right?”_

_“You really don’t know, do you?”_

_“Know what?!”_

_**“That you’re nothing but a fake.”** _

“Ty! Good Hylia, dude, how many times you gonna zone out?! We kinda need your help!” Gloam’s voice carried over Termina Field, finally managing to catch Ty’s attention.

“Shit, fuck. I’m on my way, damn it! You got the damn Skull Kids, I don’t see why you need my help!” He ran down from the gates of Clock Town to where Gloam, Skylar and Skull Kid where attempting to stave off a massive magma-covered creature.

“WOOD DON’T EXACTLY MIX WELL WITH LAVA, ASSHAT!” SK screeched, barely managing to fly quick enough to escape the creature’s swiping claw.

Whatever this thing was, it was huge. It reminded Gloam somewhat of a dragon, but its arms were like that of a Goron’s, and which each swing the air around the group grew more blistering. A tar-like black substance dripped from its mouth, bubbling and boiling when it hit the ground. It screeched, snapping its sharp jaw at SK, who was trying to keep its attention off of Skylar.

Small, pitch-black creatures spawned out of the black tar that had hit the ground. Glowing red eyes were set deep in sagging, black skin. They crawled forward with surprising speed, bony arms propelling them forward, their movements much like a spider’s. Out of their mouths poured more of the putrid liquid, as they quickly made their way towards Ty.

Something about them felt familiar, as Ty quickly began to try and cut down their numbers. As his sword hit one, its spindly fingers gripped onto his arm, their jaw cracking as it dropped open.

_“Have you ever wondered what it’s like in a world without Light?”_

Ty froze at the voice that came out of its broken mouth, his breathing becoming heavier.

**_“Have you ever wondered what it’s like in a world without Light? What it’d be like…to live in a world that didn’t have something like the Triforce… Or maybe it was steeped in shadows? The dusk of another world clouding this one? Or maybe one that was doomed to be crushed under the force of something else?”_ **

**_“What in the world are you talking about?”_ **

_“You were talking about the other worlds, weren’t you?”_ Ty whispered to himself, still frozen in shock.

“TY WATCH OUT!” Skylar’s panicked voice screeched through the air, jolting Ty back to awareness. The black creatures had him held down, as the lava beast’s massive arm came careening towards him. He shut his eyes.

_“You love me don’t you?”_

The beast’s pained scream echoed in Ty’s ears, as the pressure on his limbs was released, and a terrible, feral growl rumbled beside him. He opened his eyes, only to have them land on a white-haired figure holding a massive blue sword, covered in the black liquid. He turned his head slowly, the pitch-black fur of a wolf that was easily bigger than Ty himself blocking his view. A huge shackle was around the wolf’s neck, glowing blue symbols adorning the spaces between the chains links hanging from each side.

Ty stares at the massive wolf, as it turns its head towards him, blue eyes with a familiar brown ring glinting at him within the shadowy fur, silver markings across its body seeming to glow in time with the growl rumbling in its chest. It lets out a sniff, before turning back and bounding towards the white-haired man that had joined their group.

As the wolf quickly approached the man, he bent down, allowing it to propel itself off his back, landing on the head of the creature. The hellion screeched, whipping its head around to attempt to shake the wolf off, before slamming its fists down, and stopping.

The creature’s entire body began to ripple, as the lava flows blackened and stilled. It lets out another screech, shooting a geyser of tar from its mouth, aiming for the white-haired man. He dodges it, slashing at the creature’s arms, the left one crumbling and breaking, since the lava was no longer keeping it together.

It flails, attempting to get its footing again. Ty is still on the ground, unable to move. Skylar and SK fly over to him, trying to get him to stand. Another geyser of black liquid shoots from the creature’s mouth, this time heading directly for the trio.

The sight of it finally spurs Ty to move again, shoving the two Skull Kids back, as he raises his right hand.

_**“THUNDER!”** _

The ground shook, Ty being knocked back as the tar still manages to hit him. The man and the wolf barely managed to get far enough away from the creature to avoid being hit by the blue lightning. When Ty hits the ground, a ringing in his ears muffles the voice of Skylar as she tries to help him up.

 _“Is he alright?”_ Gloam’s voice is the only one that seems to register. _“That ink-looking shit hit him, didn’t it? Where’s- Wait, where’d the guy go? Ty? Ty! Can you hear me?”_ Ty stared up at Gloam, his vision blurry. He barely manages to focus in on Gloam’s face, his eyes seeming brighter to Ty.

“Blue eyes….with the brown ring…Gloam, you little shit.” He coughs out with a chuckle, before falling back, unconscious. 

_“You said you wanted to know where I was from.”_

_“Yeah. But again, you don’t have to tell me if it just brings back bad memories or anything.”_

_The woman sighs, shaking her head. Brown eyes catch blue, an unreadable expression on her face. “That’s not why I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t want to tell you, because….I’d have to admit something rather terrible about myself. But-”_

_**“Amica,** you don’t have to tell me.” He grabs onto her arm, pulling her towards him. “I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I know it’s hard for you to explain. Please, don’t try to force yourself to tell me if you’re not ready.” He pulls her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her. She rests her arms on his shoulders, hair framing her face as she stared down at him._

_“I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready, Link.” Her voice is barely a whisper._

_“And that is just fine with me. So, come here.” He flipped the two of them over, pressing kisses to her cheek. She responded with excited giggles, her hands curling into his hair._

**_I did love you once. But did you ever love me?_ **

_“I don’t know what’s going on. What’s wrong with me?!” The man stared into the now-shattered mirror, the wounds on his fist only slightly throbbing, despite the shards of glass. “I feel like losing my fucking mind…”_

_Ice-cold hands wrap around his thoat, yanking him backwards. Glass dug into his back as he was pressed down into the shattered remains of the mirror littering the bathroom floor._

_**“It’s because you are.”** _

_“Wake up, little Tyrant.”_

“FUCK!” Ty shot up, whipping his arms around.

“Woah! Easy there, Mr. Tyrant.” SK was bent back, hanging onto the corner post of the bed, having adopted the position to avoid being hit. He pulled himself back up, orange hair flopping over a wooden face.

“It is so weird seeing you with a somewhat-Hylian face.” Ray’s tired voice chuckled from the other bed. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Ty. Try to keep the profanities to a minimum, we got a nice young lady in our presence.” Sitting at the end of Ray’s bed was a young girl, maybe only 10 years old, with red hair and eyes. She waved, the long sleeves of her simple dress slipping down to her elbow, then slipping back to cover her hand when she lowered it.

“I’m Rainah.” She smiles, a few of her front teeth missing.

Ty scoffs lightly, shaking his head. He raises a hand in greeting, using the other to rub his face. “Hey, Rainah. Sorry for the potty mouth.”

“It’s okay. Daddy says bad words when he wakes up from scary dreams too. Happens to the best of us.” She hops off the bed, a small plush cow cradled against her chest, and bounces over to him. “Here! You can hold this, it’ll make the bad dreams go away.”

Ty stares at her for a moment, before gently taking the toy cow from her. “Thanks, kid.” His voice comes out rough.

“I gotta go now, gotta help Mama with makin’ lunch. I’ll see you later Mr. Tired!” Rainah turns around, quickly running out of the room, Skull Kid close behind.

“Mr. Tired?” Ty snorts, looking to Ray.

“Yeah, she was calling you that every time she came in here.” Ray chuckled, moving to sit on the edge of his bed. “Were out for 2 days, Ty.”

“I was?”

Ray nods, Ty sighing. “Yeah, sounds like me… I always end up overdoing it. One of my bad habits I never quite broke.”

“Who’s _Amica?”_ Ray stands up, and walks over to the table set up in the middle of the room. “You were saying the name a lot in your sleep.”

 _“Amica_ ….means ‘love’.” Ty fiddles with toy cow, his hair blocking any view of his face.

“What was their name?”

Ty goes silent, shaking his head. “Bad memories. Rather not talk about her.” Ray nods, leaning against the edge of the table. After a few moments, the sound of a chair scraping against the wood sounds, as Ray pulls one up to the end of Ty’s bed. He sits in it with the back of the chair and himself facing Ty, resting his arms on the top of it.

“Your _amica_ was Zoey….wasn’t she?” The icy-blue gaze Ray set on him was enough to cause Ty to shift back slightly, trying to put some distance between him and the Kokiri. “Something happened between the two of you, she’s from your Era, she said it herself… You two had something once-”

“Yeah, we did. We had something fucking incredible, okay?” Ty cut him off, his own blue eyes dark with an angry glare. “I was in love with her. She was my whole fucking world in a place that only saw me as a means to an end. A world that only fucking saw me as their little fucking hero, and not as a person. And you know what she did to me, Ray? Do you know what she fucking did to me?!” He yanks the collar of his shirt down.

Angry black fissures were set deep in his shoulders and collarbone. They were spread out, wings of black connecting with small cracks. They were low enough on his shoulders and chest that they were completely hidden by his clothing.

“You idiots think she’s some sweet thing, right? Some nice sweet girl, a soldier, maybe. Came around with the little Knight. She’s helpful and caring, right? That’s what she fucking wants you to think. She’s nothing but a little succubus, seducing you with sweet words and caring gestures, and then she rips your fucking soul out of your body, and you’re left with nothing. You lose everything if you deal with her. Especially, your fucking mind.” He lets go of his collar, allowing it to settle back.

“What the hell happened between you two?”

“What the hell happened?! WHAT THE HELL FUCKING HAPPENED?! SHE USED ME, LINK. She made me fall in love her, made me want to spend the rest of my life with her, and then she did this shit to me. She’s not from my Era. She’s from theFUCKING **DARK WORLD!”**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(WARNING: THERE IS A MENTION OF RAPE AND A BIT OF _UNSAVORY_ ACTIONS BY ANNIE IN THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS!! THERE IS NOTHING EXPLICIT, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE YOU MIGHT GET A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE! IF YOU’D LIKE TO SKIP ALL OF THAT, THOUGH YOU MAY RISK A LOSS OF A CERTAIN SMALL PIECE OF INFORMATION, LOOK FOR **_“And you have the same fucking perfume as her.”)_**

_“Please let me go.”_ Tear’s voice came out in a broken whisper, trying to hold back the sobs that threatened to spill at each touch from Annie. She trailed her black claws up and down his bare arms, her nose pressed against his hair. She breathed in, then let out a sigh, moving one hand to cup his chin. The smell of blood mixed with the thick scent of perfume wafting off of her.

“Now, sweet boy…Why would I do that? The little boss says I can’t kill you…but I can do whatever else….Now why on earth would I give up a chance like that? Oh good Fayra, you are so cute, I could just **_eat you up~”_** She let out a breathy laugh, her pitch-black hair blocking Tear’s view of her face as she pulled back. The only thing he could see of her was one of her blood-red eyes. Her fingers slip down to catch the medallion hanging around his neck. She lifts it, the decorative hibiscus flower catching the dim light of a nearby torch.

“Where’d you get this? It’s very pretty…”

Tear smacked her hand away. “Don’t touch that. It was given to me by somebody very special and you have no right to put your disgusting hands on i-ACK!” Annie grabbed his throat, shoving his head into the stone wall.

 **“Mind. Your. Tone. With me. Little boy. If you cause too much trouble, I will kill you. Little boss won’t be too angry as long as I leave your body mostly intact.** Though….. I’m sure he won’t mind if there are a few bites taken outta ya.” She giggles, biting at the air between her and Tear, pearly white and morbidly sharp teeth glinting in the light.

“Why are you doing this?” Despite the terror he felt with her presence, he allowed himself to cling onto the loose sleeves of the familiar purple cloak she wore, which only spurred her to hold him closer to her. “What have we done? What have I done?”

“Oh, you haven’t done anything, little hero…But you see….that’s exactly what’s wrong with the world. The worst things happen to the people who never did anything to deserve them. You just happened to be one of the people my goddess does not like, and that my little boss wants hurt… Oh, no you didn’t deserve anything I’ve done to you… But, unfortunately….I was the one sent to the Era you got pulled to.”

“Do you know why we were all separated?” He tried to ignore the sensation of her pressing her mouth to his cheek, and lightly gliding it over his jaw. “Would you even tell me?”

“Mali wants you separated. Divide and conquer, as they say. Plus, it’ll allow us to more easily get to the people he needs for something he’s been trying to do. I don’t know what that something is, but…It’s best for me not to question Mali’s actions… Allows me to live longer.”

“Are you Rana’s Dark?” Annie freezes at Tear’s words, pulling away from him, her black hair still covering her face.

“Yes, I am…How were you able to tell? It’s not like you’ve been able to see my face, I’ve made sure to keep it covered by either the cloak or my hair….”

Tear stared up at her, his hand still tightly curled into her sleeve. “You may have raped me, Annie…” Something seemed to shine in his eyes.

_Small flecks of green winked almost mockingly at her in a sea of blue._

“But you still have the same touch as her. You’re gentle, even when hurting me… You’re careful with your movements….” Both of his hands shoot up, tangling in her hair, and he yanks her down forcefully, growling into her ear.

**_“And you have the same fucking perfume as her.”_ **

****

Annie quickly lets go of Tear, shoving him away from her as she jumps back, now sitting in a crouch. Her eyes widen in shock as a pale, glowing cracks begin to form in the wall behind him. Two tan hands reach out from it, resting on Tear’s bare shoulders, as a head of fiery red hair emerged from it shortly after. Angry, sapphire blue eyes glared at Annie, lips pulled back in a snarl. Before she can react, the figure shoots out from the wall, the gleaming metal of the scimitar in their hand becoming embedded in her chest.

“Hello, Annie. Long time no see. This is for hurting my little brother. Have fun explaining this to Mali when you get back to the hell you came from.” The woman yanked the scimitar out of Annie’s chest, an iridescent, pale blue fluid pouring out from the wound.

“Yeah…I’ll be sure to let him know you said hi, _Rana~”_ Annie spit out, the same liquid dripping from her mouth. She dropped back onto the floor, her body disappearing in black smoke.

“Rana?” Tear’s voice cracked as he called out the woman’s name, causing her to quickly turn around, scrambling towards him.

“Hey, hey…Are you alright? Did she hurt you?” Rana’s hand hovered by his cheeks, as Tear curled up, his hands shakily gripping his arms. He looked at her for a moment, before breaking down into violent sobs. Rana pulled him into a hug, trying to hold back her own tears as he screamed into her shoulder. “I’m so sorry….I’m so fucking sorry…I couldn’t get here quicker… I’m so sorry, Tear.”

_**“YOU GOT DONE IN BY YOUR STUPID FUCKING LIGHT?!?”**_ Mali screamed, knocking the tools and equipment off of the metal lab table. _ **“I TOLD YOU WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU CAME BACK EMPTY-HANDED!!”**_

Annie stood silently, wiping remnants of the pale blue substance from her mouth. “I didn’t come back empty-handed, Mali.”

“Oh really? Then what do you have for me? HUH?! BECAUSE I SEE NO LITTLE FUCKING HERO!”

“Don’t need him. Now…you and your little boyfriend can watch him and the other Lights he’s with whenever you want, and you’ll have extra eyes on the heir.” Annie points to the massive scepter that Vanity stood by. Both men looked up at the sphere in the middle of the lotus-like crystals at the top of it.

Vanity pressed a button on the small device next to it, causing the scepter to be lifted and turned on its side. Sure enough, after a few moments, the sphere darkened, before beginning to swirl with various images. 

“Now you can spy on the rest of ‘em. Because you know damn well…they’re all gonna find their way back to each other, especially with that timeline-hopping bitch with ‘em. And there’s no way in hell the others are going to win against any of them. Bandit’s is going to be nothing against the **Hero of Winds** and **Farore’s heir,** and Wraith already got his shit kicked in little fucker who’s got the **Fierce Deity’s Mask.** And we all fucking know Anathema isn’t going to do anything, especially if she lays eyes on those **two princesses she loves so fucking much.** She’s got that **purple hair,** remember? She’s been in the Light too long, there’s no way she’s going to do what was asked of her.”

Mali tapped his foot against the stone floor, letting out a long sigh. “Fine. Go to the fountain, heal up, whatever. Once we see how the others do their shit…we’ll decide what to do with you.”

As Annie turned to leave, Vanity quickly stepped to her side, catching her arm before she left the lab. A smirk graces his mouth as he leans close to her ear.

“And Annie? Just a tip…might wanna dye your hair again soon… _Your roots are growing back.”_ He let go off, the smirk quickly dropping back to his normally unaffected expression, as he returned to Mali’s side.

She growled, quickly moving down the dark hall. She yanked her hair to the front of her face where she could see. She snarled at the sight of the deep purple strands that glistened in the wavy black mass of hair.

“Stupid fucking Darks.” She spit out, yanking it back to re-tie it. She readjusts the scarf at her neck.

_**“I hope you all fucking die someday.”** _

__

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Who are you?” Sil’s voice was laced with suspicion as she pointed the ice-tipped arrow at the woman’s black and white eyes. “What do you want?”

“Sil, calm down…” Fissure tried to get her to set down the bow, but Sil wouldn’t budge.

“My….” Anathema’s mouth felt dry as she attempted to speak, her eyes frozen on Aoife, who was standing just behind Sil and Fissure. “My name….my name is Saoirse. I…I’m a friend. Ask Fissure, he knows me.” She kept her hands in the air, though this allowed the obvious shake in them to be completely visible.

 _“Seer-sha?_ Alright, _Saoirse._..What do you want?”

“Like I said, I’m a friend. I…I’m only here to help, I swear.”

“Sil, she’s telling the truth. Trust me…I do know her.” Fissure placed his hand on Sil’s arm, and she slowly lowered the bow.

“She’s a Dark.”

“So am I, Sil… But she’s been in the Light World even longer than me. If she says she’s here to help, then she is…I promise.” Fissure locks eyes with Anathema, nodding.

“Ya know, she kinda has the same hair as me and Aoife, just longer.” Wild clicks his tongue, bringing Anathema’s attention to him. He waves his fingers at her. “Hello~” She nods in acknowledgement, her eyes moving to lock onto Aoife again, though her attention is broken when Sil steps in front of the younger princess, blocking her from Anathema’s view.

“What’s with the death glare at her, _Saoirse?”_ Sil snarls, her hands on her hips. Fissure snorts, causing the young queen to whip her head towards him with a confused look.

“Oh, trust me, Sil. It ain’t a death glare. Saoirse here has known many a princess. She’s always…disoriented by new ones.”

“Well, I’d be new, too, wouldn’t I?”

“No…” Saoirse cuts off the response Fissure was about to give. “No…I knew you before…you just didn’t know me.”

“And where exactly did you know me?” Sil tilts her head, the suspicious glare still present in her eyes.

“When you were fighting off the very being that I was created for…to serve. I was the only thing keeping you alive those 100 years ago… _My Queen.”_ Saoirse steps back, before bowing, waving her hand with a flourish. She doesn’t break eye contact with her as she does so, keeping it as she stands back straight again, adopting a near-soldier-like stance.

“Oh….so you were that little voice that kept speaking to me…” Sil whispered, staring up at Saoirse, now with less animosity in her gaze.

Saoirse raises a brow at her, a mischievous grin working its way onto her pale-grey face.

_“Guilty as charged, Queenie.”_


	13. To Champions and Knights Alike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Era of Restoration bears a new knight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ravioren is pronounced "ruh-veer-ehn"

_“Despite the tragedy of losing our Knight, Link McCormick, we have to move on._ The kingdom of Hyrule, finally having moved into an era of restoration after the Second Calamity, has to remain strong. The sword has chosen a new Knight. Lucasari Demisius Dragmire, first-born son of Gerudo Champion and Chief, Jameela Zoranav Dragmire. He has been chosen by the blade of evil’s bane to protect Hyrule.” The Queen’s voice echoed over the large throne room, as she stood in the center of a circular platform, the young boy in question kneeling before her. She looked down, blonde hair framing her face as she stared at the ginger-haired boy with a bitter sadness.

**“He has been chosen as the Knight who will protect Hyrule, and the Princess.”**

“Hey there, new hero! Name’s Rani.” A Zora with bright blue scales thrusts a hand towards Lucas, giving him a huge smile full of sharp teeth. “Zora Champion and Prince!” A baby blue cloth was wrapped around his torso and shoulder, a silver chestplate peaking out from beneath it. Along the corner of the cloth, close to his shoulder, was a white embroidered likeness of a creature with a trunk. “And I’m the little driver of the Divine Beast Vah Ruta!”

“Um…hi.”

“You’re a lot quieter than Link was. Though, I’ve heard that lots of heroes are quiet. Guess that’s just another way our Link wasn’t like most. Either way, I think you’re gonna do great, little guy. How old are you?”

“10.”

“Link was 10 when he started too. Come over here! I’ll introduce you to the others. Of course, you already know your mom is the Gerudo Champion, I’m sure you grew up knowing about Vah Naboris.”

Lucas nods, shyly stepping up next to Rani. The Zora points to a very large rock situated just a few feet from them. “This is Manivo. Oi! Rockballs! Get up!” He smacks the top of the huge rock, which starts to shake in response. After a few seconds, two large arms shoot out from the boulder, a vaguely annoyed grunt emitting from it. “He’s our friendly resident Goron Champion, who, while dumb as a box of rocks, could reduce an entire building to rubble if he burped loud enough.” Rani cackled, yelping as one of the large arms swings toward him, trying to bat him away.

The Goron man sneers slightly at Rani, before his gaze landed on Lucas. A baby blue cloth, similar to Rani’s, was tied around his waist, a white embroidery showing off what seemed like a type of lizard. The new Knight stared up at him, fearfully, before trying to clear his throat.

“U-um….Hi, there….” He manages to squeak out, quickly becoming more and more nervous under Manivo’s harsh glare. Suddenly, a raucous laugh emits from the Champion, as a large hand gently sets itself on Lucas’s head, ruffling his hair.

“Hey, no need to be nervous, new Knight. Rani’s a little _shit_ , and I’m a bit scary-lookin’, but I promise ya, there’s nothing to be so worried about. You’re shaking like a leaf, little guy. I’m Manivo, driver of Vah Rudania, Goron Champion, blah blah blah.” A wide smile was now set on Manivo’s face, drastically altering his demeanor, as he gave Lucas’s head a couple of pats. A dark-colored tattoo of the Goron crest was situated just above where his heart would be, and a dark-red jewel hung from his neck, resting just beside the symbol.

“Manivo, be careful! He may be Gerudo, but he’s still much smaller than you! You could crush his head if you aren’t paying attention!” A high-pitched, sweet-toned voice sounded from Lucas’s right, his eyes landing on a Rito girl with bright red feathers. “U-um…Hi! I’m Quinn, friends might call me ‘Queenie’. You’re the new Knight, right? You’re Jameela’s boy, and the princess’s cousin, right?” She was holding a large, intricately carved bow, dark blue markings on it matching the ones on her wings and face. She fumbled with the bow a bit as she moved it to her other wing, extending the now free wing to shake Lucas’s hand. “Driver of Vah Medoh, and Rito Champion. Th…that’s me. I’m….the…Rito. Yeah, champion. Um…….yeah hi!” She waves her wing, coughing a bit.

“Queenie’s a bit shy, don’t mind her.” Rani slung an arm over Quinn’s shoulders, crumpling the blue cloth tied around her neck, which had an embroidery of what looked like a bird. She huffs a bit, trying to push Rani off, but ultimately accepts her fate.

“Welcome to the crew of weirdos, Lucasari.” Jameela’s familiar voice reaches Lucas’s ears, as her hand gently lands on his shoulder. Around her own shoulders was a blue cloth that was actually familiar to Lucas, one he had known since he was a young child. “The princess is still getting ready, she’ll be here in a bit. You know how her mother likes to overdress her.” Lucas nods, smiling slightly.

“Ceremony’s about to begin.” Jameela pulled Lucas to the spot he was to stand in. Lucas stood silently, his hands clasped behind him. Jameela returned to her spot next to the other Champions.

After a few tense moments, the clump of boots brought everyone’s attention towards the young girl now making her way up the steps to the small platform. Her dark brown dress covered her feet, but Lucas could see flashes of the black combat boots beneath the skirt as she walked towards him. Around her waist was a baby blue sash, the Hylian crest embroidered across the front.

The princess’s long blonde hair was pushed back out of her face, though the expression she held expressed she was not happy about it. Her eyes were slightly puffy, making it clear she had been crying. She stopped just in front of Lucas, staring up at him.

“Your shoulder plate is on the wrong arm, Lucas.” Her voice came out rough and scratchy, but still held an amused tone.

 _“Oh shit, I didn’t even notice.”_ Jameela’s embarrassed tone came from the left. _“I should’ve fixed it earlier.”_

Zelda chuckled, reaching up to unhook the armored plate. “Here.” She pulls the plate off and restraps everything into their rightful places. “You’re left-handed, so you’d hold your sword with your left. You’d need the plate on your left arm, since you’d be holding your shield with your right.” Once everything was corrected, a sniffle emitted from the small princess, her fingers lingering on the strap that kept the Master Sword’s sheath on Lucas’s back.

_“She’s so small, what if I drop her?!”_

_“You won’t, Link, just be careful.”_

_“…..Hi, Princess…”_

_“You see these stars, Zelda? Someday, we’re all gonna go up there with them. You never really know when it’ll happen. Sometimes, it’s years and years before it happens, other times, it’s on the same day you were born. But you’ll show up in that bright sky for everyone to see. People will be sad when you go up there, but that sadness will pass, and everyone will be happy again.”_

_“I want to go up with the stars.”_

_“You should enjoy what’s down here first. The more you enjoy the earth, the brighter you’ll be in the sky.”_

Tears fell down the young princess’s cheeks, her knees buckling. Lucas’s arms quickly wrapped around her, keeping her from falling to the ground. Violent, loud sobs wracked her body as he held her, the other Champions quickly moving to try and comfort her as well.

Subdued cries were drowned out by the angry sound of scissors chopping through hair. Blonde chunks fell to the floor as the princess ripped through it with a pair of shears, tears falling down her face.

_“Your hair is very easy to braid with how long it is. Though I bet you’d look pretty with short hair, too.”_

_“I’d look dumb.”_

_“No, you wouldn’t! You would look adorable! Don’t say things like that about yourself, Zelda.”_

_“…..”_

“Do I still look pretty, you asshole?” She slams the shears down on the surface of the desk table, glaring angrily at the mirror, choppy, uneven strands of hair framing her face. “I told you I’d look stupid with short hair.”

_“You still look pretty.”_

Zelda whipped around, her view quickly being obscured by the fabric of Lucas’s shirt as he hugged her.

“I know losing him is hard, Zelda. But you can’t do this to yourself. Everyone is really worried about you.”

“Let them worry.”

Lucas sighs, pulling away from her. “Come on.” He grabs her hand, pulling her out of her seat.

“Wait, Lucas, where are we going?!”

“No questions, just follow me.”

Lucas pulled her through the halls of Hyrule Castle, until they finally made it out to the bridge connected two of the spires.

“Lucas, this is….”

“Where Link fell. Yes I know.”

“Can we please just go back-”

“No. Come here.” He pulls her to the middle of the bridge, then points up to the sky. “Find him.”

“What?”

“Link used to tell you that everyone joins the stars eventually. Do you know what he meant by that?”

“It…was just a story.”

“He meant when people die, they become a star. So…” He uses his other hand to tilt her head up, her eyes now shining from the light of the stars. _“Find him, Zelda.”_

_**Find him.** _

“Aoife? Are you alright?” Fissure’s voice caused Aoife to jump, quickly whiping her face.

“Y-yeah…I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah…Just…remembering something.”

Fissure hums, handing her a bowl. “You should eat. We aren’t going to make it to a stable till at least evening tomorrow.”

She nods, taking it. The light of the fire cast shadows over her face as she stared at the bowl in her hands. She hears Fissure sigh, before his retreating footsteps signal him leaving.

_**Find him, Zelda.** _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Four, please try and breathe.” Shadow pressed his hands against Four’s shoulders and back, trying to keep him upright.

Four’s ragged breaths filled the room, violent coughs cutting through them every now and then.

“What the hell are we supposed to do with two sick passengers and a bloody Shadow Demon waiting for us at the docks?! We’ve been circling the island for 5 fucking hours!” Tetra growls. “Rana is who-knows-where, we can’t rely on her to take care of the damn thing, and we can’t move them!”

Torrent sneers, his leg shaking as he presses his fist against his mouth, trying to think. “Me and Serenity are just going to have to deal with it. Sky and Four can’t fight, Shadow and DJ will have to keep an eye on them. You need to keep an eye on the ship and the crew, I’m definitely not letting Aryll fight this thing…”

“Hey! You realize I’m just as good of a fighter as you!” Aryll huffs, pulling the bandanna off of her mouth.

Torrent glares at her, Aryll immediately going silent under his look. “Do. **Not**. Argue with me, Aryll. You are not fighting.”

She grits her teeth, but doesn’t argue back. Torrent shakes his head, pulling the furred hood of his coat up over his head, as he began to climb the mast towards the crow’s nest. “Head to the island. Serenity, you and I are going to have to try and keep that thing away from the ship. Take it towards the Tower.” Serenity nods, flying up to the top of the mast, taking her perch. Tetra takes her spot at the helm, and Aryll helps lead Shadow and Four back to below the deck.

As the ship begins its approach on New Hyrule, carmine eyes narrow, pitch-black ears twitching.

 _“Fetch, Bandit. Break the pirates, and bring us the heirs. And if you can, though I will not punish you if you do not manage it, try and grab the merged one. He could be useful.”_ Mali’s voice chimed in his ears, glowing blue drool dribbling out of the young Dark’s mouth. The collar around his neck rattles as he crouches down, before taking off on all fours.

As the ship docked, Torrent jumps from the railing of the ship, landing on the docks. Serenity flew far above him, keeping a bird’s-eye view, as they made their way towards where their makeshift Hyrule Castle was situated. DJ stared over the railing, watching as the duo headed off.

“Hey. Mind helping us?” Cold breath fanned over her neck, as she whipped around, coming face to face with Shadow’s lavender eyes. “Could use it.” The normally-neat braids framing his face were now frizzy, small curls popping out of the long plaits.

She stares at him a moment, before nodding. “Alright.” He turns on his heel, quick steps leading the two of them below the deck. In the berth, Four and Sky were laying on two beds opposite each other. Sky was seemingly asleep, wrapped up in a thin blanket and the sailcoth that was originally strung through his belt loops. Four was curled up on his side, his breathing heavy and strained. Black smoke was pooled around his body, shaking as he clutched the sheathed sword beside him. On the floor, two spaces were set with blankets and pillows.

“Be prepared for this room to get a little more crowded.” Shadow mumbled, gesturing for her to stand by Four’s bed. He knelt by Four’s side, brushing his hair out of his face. Before DJ can respond, the smoke shot out around him, curling over the bed’s edge and onto the floorboards. Four colored orbs floated through the air, hovering above Four’s body.

A purple one, with black cracks running through it, staying above the bed, as green, blue and red ones flew through the air away from Four. The red and blue ones moved to hover over the two pallets on the floor, as the green one floated over an empty chair set by the small table in the corner of the cabin. The orbs spread, becoming brighter, before disappearing completely, leaving behind three new bodies.

Well…. _four new bodies._

“Okay….That’s weird…” DJ mumbles, staring wide-eyed at the new arrivals.

The one laying on the bed was now a young man with short hair, cut long in the front as it tapered sharply in the back to almost a buzz cut. Over his shoulder was a cream-colored cloak with stitching of a sunflower in the middle of it. On the corner was embroidery of the name “Vio.” His entire right ear was pitch-black. Angry, deep black cracks that seemed to swim around his skin, covering his cheek, and creeping up his neck from beneath his shirt. His right hand was also covered in black, only his fingertips a normal tone. His eyes were barely open, deep purple irises staring blankly at the wall.

The two on the floor were perfect dichotomies of each other. One was small, his hair cut in a clean bob, his right eye covered, the left showing off a bright red iris. His ears were littered in black metal piercings, the cloak on his shoulder showing off stitching of a poppy flower, red wavy lines coming from the top edge. In the same corner as the previous, the name “Red” was embroidered.

The other was much bigger than the two before him. He had a stocky build, and definitely seemed to be the tallest of the quartet. His hair was short and puffy, contouring well to his face. The cloak on his shoulder seemed to be too small for him, like he grew out of it soon after obtaining it. It slipped from its place, hanging in front of him slightly, the wavy blue border surrounding stitching of a hyacinth. The name “Blue” was embroidered in the corner. His teeth fitfully messed with the small piercing on his lower lip, startlingly blue eyes fixed on the ground.

The final of the four was sitting at the table, his fists clenched by his mouth. Emerald green eyes bored into the wall in front of him, his leg shaking. His hair was of a similar cut to the one with the hyacinth, but longer and wavier, the ends curling slightly into loose ringlets. His cloak had stitching of a lily, the corner bearing the name “Green.” He wore a black turtleneck beneath a short-sleeved white tunic, in contrast to the others, who each had tunics matching the color written on their cloaks. Black pants were tucked into dark red leather boots, one of which had a small silver buckle, the other lacking it. Attached to the chain that held his cloak up, was a tiny purple and white feather.

“Okay…..So can I possibly get an explanation for this? Or….” DJ’s eyes landed back on Shadow, whose attention was focused on the man still on the bed.

“This is Vio…” Shadow didn’t look at her, but simply gestured to the shaking man. “The short shithead is Red, the chubby asshole is Blue.” A small smirk worked its way onto his face, as ‘Blue’ promptly flipped two middle fingers at him. “The edgy one at the table is Green.” A small scoff from the man seated at the table sounded, as he dropped his hands onto the table. He shot a peace sign at DJ, keeping his gaze forward.

“So…what’s happening with Vio?”

“He’s dying.” Red’s soft voice chirped from the floor.

“He’s not dying, Red.” Blue snapped, a snarl forming on his face.

“That’s bullshit, and you know it, Blue!” Red snapped back.

 **“Do not fucking start.** ” Green’s voice boomed from the table, almost reverberating in the small cabin. Sky flinched in his bed, breathing in as he began to move. Green glared at the duo on the floor, the shot a guilty look at Sky, who was now waking up. “Shit…”

Sky groaned as he slowly sat up, rubbing at his eyes. His sailcloth slips to the floor, him barely managing to catch up and pull it back up. He looks around, his eyes slowly widening as he stares at the new members of their group.

“Okay….Yeah, fuck this. Nope. Fever dreams are weird. Nope. Goodnight.” He flopped back, yanking the sailcloth over his head, wrapping himself in it. “Not having it.” His voice was muffled as he continued to voice protests to the situation, earning a chuckle from Shadow and the others.

“Sky…” Green’s voice is laced with a laugh when he speaks, earning a shake of the head from Sky.

“Nope. I’m dreamin’. I got a fever, this is just a really fucking weird fever dream, but it’s fine. I’ll talk to you in like, another 6 hours or something, Four. Yup. There is not a weird shadow version of my acquaintance, as well as varying colorful copies of him. It’s not a real thing, nope. Bedtime.”

Green sighs, snickering. “Whatever you say, Sky.”

“See you when I wake up, Four.”

“Alright.” Green looks to the others, and even DJ cracks a small smirk at the situation.

“Honestly, I feel like I might have seen weirder, even if I can’t remember it right now. So…does this,” she gestures to the splits, “have something to do with that fancy sword of yours?”

“It has exactly to do with it. It’s called the Four Sword. Divides the wielder into four.”

“Sounds about right. So…the purple one. Why’s he so sick?”

“Some kind of infection. From their Dark.” Shadow answers, pale grey hands idly playing with Vio’s hair. “Happened shortly after they tried to put the Four Sword back. It’s like it was refusing to be put back. Their Dark’s spirit was…shot out of it. It sort of…” Shadow raises his hands, taking his right, and jabbing the tips of his fingers into the palm of his left, “shoved itself into Four’s body. Now each part of them is slowly being corrupted. Vio was the first to be affected, he’s the only one that has any markings. We don’t know who it’ll affect next, or how quickly it’ll do it. It’s taken almost 8 months for it to get this bad with him.”

“I see…What about you then? Who are you to them?”

“I’m their predecessor’s Dark. I’m from an Era called the Force Era. The original Hero of the Four Sword….was my Light. I was merged with him at one point.”

_“You don’t have to leave, Shadow. You can stay here.”_

_“I’ve hurt too many people. They all hate me.”_

_“Some may, yes. But they don’t hate me.”_

_“Of course they don’t hate you…why would they? What does that to do with this?”_

_“……”_

_“Why are you smiling like that?”_

_“Wow, you’re dumb.”_

_“Hey! Fuck you!”_

_“Am I even able to merge with you?”_

_“If you let yourself.”_

_“Is this your way of asking me to marry you or something?”_

_“Wow, you are so weird.”_

_“Hey, I’m not the one proposing.”_

_“Oh, my goddesses….”_

_“Wait…so if you are five now, should I call you ‘Penta’?”_

_“‘Penta?’”_

_“It means ‘five’.”_

_“Ah….you know I like that. Kinda rolls of the tongue.”_

_“So, Shadow is a part of you now….so you are five. You are now Penta!”_

_“Yeah. You always got the best names, Lily.”_

_“Well, of course! I am just that good!”_

“Shadow?” Shadow jumps, Red’s hand tugging on his arm.

“What? Sorry…zoned out for a second….” He sniffs, rubbing at his face.

“Well, Green just ran off with Sky. I think they’re gonna fight that Bandit guy.” Red pointed to the door, a slightly unimpressed look on his face. Shadow groans, rolling his eyes.

“Of fucking course, he is.” He presses his hands to his face, shaking his head.

“You know what? He can deal with it on his own. Not gonna go save him this time. He’ll be just fine.”

Red snorts, shrugging. “Fair.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ravio! Slow down! Where the hell are we going?!” Warrior shouted as he ran.

Zoey and Warrior struggled to keep up with the runaway Lorulean, who was currently sprinting through a small forest. The two of them tried to catch up as he slowed down to run down a steep hill down to the sandy bank on the edge of the ocean. A log cabin sat a few meters away. Behind it, a gorgeous garden stretched back into a field next to the forest. Sand kicked up in the air as Ravio ran towards the cabin, frantically knocking on the door.

“Pierce! PIERCE! OPEN UP!!!” He shouted, panting as he attempted to catch his breath.

Zoey and Warrior could hear the door opening, and saw Ravio bolt into the house as they finally made it to the door. They stood side by side in the doorway, watching anxiously as Ravio frantically gestured towards an older man who was leaning on a red bejeweled staff.

“You two….come sit.” A rough, gravelly voice rumbled out, addressing the two soldiers. The man turned from Ravio, using the staff to assist himself in making his way to the thin bed in the corner of the room. The room was dim, the only proper light coming from the large window on the opposite wall. The rays caught the man’s face, pale pink streaks adorning his hair and beard. His eyes were wrinkled at the edges, giving the illusion of them being closed. Ravio refused to sit, following behind the man, still speaking rapidly, seemingly in a tongue Zoey and Warrior did not understand.

“Pierce, please-” Ravio is stopped by Pierce raising his hand as he sits on the bed.

“Ravio. My boy…you need to calm yourself. You are much too riled up. Being so emotional will cloud your judgment.” He taps his fingers on the top of the jeweled staff, the red orb at the top of it glittering in the sunlight.

“I LOST TEAR!! I PROMISED YOU I’D LOOK AFTER HIM AND I LOST HIM!!” Ravio shouts, before the tip of the staff was shoved against his nose.

“You will not raise your voice in this house, _**Ravioren.**_ Calm down.” Pierce drops the staff down, the end clicking against the wood. “Instead, turn around, and greet your fiancee.” The man smiled, Ravio whipping around, green eyes landing on the mischievous smile of a ginger-haired woman.

Rana stood with Tear in her arms, his fingers tightly gripped her sleeves. A choked sob falls from Ravio’s mouth as he shoots towards them, picking up Tear in one arm and squeezing Rana to him with his other.

“You always get so caught up in things, Ravioren. You need to learn to look at ocean instead of the waves.”

Zoey glances at Pierce, chocolate brown eyes meeting ocean blue. A knowing smile graces his face, before she turns back, fiddling with the end of Warrior’s scarf.

_The ocean, huh?_

_Can’t exactly miss the waves if there’s a tsunami coming._

“Why are you so smiley right now, Ray?” Gloam watched closely as the elder hero excitedly trotted through the forest. According to the Skull Children accompanying them, it was called the Lost Woods.

“Oh….no reason~” Ray coos, smiling at Gloam with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Skylar chuckles, shaking her head.

“We are coming up on Kokiri Forest very soon. It is his home. Our home.” Skylar smiles, adjusting the bony mask on her face.

“Ah…”

“You live in a forest?” Ty snorts.

“You live in a dead kingdom?” SK snarks back, earning a jab in the side from Skylar.

“You know what? That was good. I deserved that.” Ty raises his hand, chuckling.

Ray ignored the argument behind him, still walking as fast as he could without it becoming a run. The group finally broke through the trees and massive hollow trunks, and found themselves staring out over a decently large village. Ray launched himself over the small railings and ledges in front of them, while Skylar led the others down the small hills into the village properly.

He sprinted off in the direction of one of the treehouses, bolting up the rope ladder hanging from the side of it, completely disregarding the seemingly newly-incorporated ramp leading to the door. His joyful shout as he ran in the door earned a small chuckle from Skylar.

“Come with me.” She leads Ty and Gloam to one of the larger buildings, which seemed to be the only one not carved directly into a tree. “We have a few rooms you two should be able to stay in. We only have three right now.” The sign on the door said “Stock Pot Inn.”

“It was named after the one you all stayed in, in Termina. It was one of Ray’s favorite places there.” SK hummed, pressing his fingertips against the sign.

“Oh! Do we have guests?” A tired, but smooth voice chirped from the desk of the inn. A very tall woman with snow-white hair gazed at Ty and Gloam, red-violet eyes looking them up and down.

“Yes, Luca. We’ll need two rooms.” Skylar floated up over the desk, settling on the edge of the wood. The woman nodded, standing up, the red symbol on her dress striking a sense of familiarity in Gloam.

“Is that the crest of the Gorons? On your dress?” Gloam inquired, staring at the crimson embroidery. Luca looks down at it.

“Oh. Yes, yes it is. I am the ambassador for the relations of Gerudo and Gorons, currently.”

“I see.”

Luca leans over the desk, handing the two men their respective keys. “Here you are. The rooms are upstairs. The Knife Chamber and the Sun’s Room.”

“Thank you.”

“The wallpaper is a bit thin on the wall between the Knife Chamber and Moon’s Room. That’s mine and Luca’s room. So I apologize if you hear us speaking late at night.” A deep voice rumbled behind Gloam. He whipped around, coming almost face-to-face with crimson eyes streaked with blue. White hair, that seemed to match Luca’s, framed a pale face, the rest pulled back in five thick braids that reached almost to the man’s waist. “Hello.”

“Uh….hi?” Gloam stared at him. He was only a few inches shorter than Gloam, but his presence was reserved, almost scared. Like the slightest movement would cause the man to bolt.

“Name’s Rinku.” He fitfully picked at his lips, his voice muffled by the placement of his hand. He wouldn’t make eye contact, and quickly shuffled around Gloam, lifting his foot on the desk to lift himself up onto it, then jumping back down on the other side. He placed himself directly behind Luca, as if to hide behind her, despite being much taller than her.

“Uh….alright…” Gloam slowly dragged his eyes away from Rinku, before heading up the small stairs.

“Oh this bitches are creaking, I swear if I fall through these floorboards, I’m rebelling.” Ty muttered under his breath as he walked behind Gloam up the stairs.

“Quit bitching, I’m 5 inches taller than you and weigh a good hundred pounds more. If they were gonna break, they’d have broken by now. And rebelling from what?”

“Life.”

“Siiiigggghhhh….Fair enough.”

Ty cackled, shoving Gloam slightly as he ran up the stairs.


	14. Lower Levels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lorulean tales and green gales.

The feral screech emitting from the atramentous being rang in Torrent’s ears. The ground shook as massive vines and roots shot up from it, glowing green from Serenity’s magic as they sped towards the young Dark, trying to entrap him. **  
**

“This thing is way too fucking fast! We can’t beat him on our own, Serenity.” Torrent shouts. An annoyed growl from Serenity was given in response, as she floated down closer to him.

“I know, but we don’t exactly have much of a choice. He wasn’t affected by the noise of the trains. They weren’t loud enough, I guess.”

“Damn it.” The duo stood back to back, eyes flickering to and fro as Bandit ran around them in circles. The vines kept him a safe distance away, but multiple close calls were putting both of them on edge. “Wind Waker is too dangerous to use this close to the tower and castle. We’re kind of screwed.”

Bandit continued to scream angrily from outside the ring of writhing vines. He grabbed onto one of the vines, digging his nails into the tendril, iridescent blue drool spilling out of his mouth. Serenity raised her hand, sending the vine up into the sky. To her horror, Bandit immediately flipped backwards, letting go of the vine, and began to plummet back towards them. She sent more of the vines towards him, but the Dark jumped back and forth from them, quickly gaining ground.

_Or……air?_

_Who fucking knows._

“Shit. Serenity, move!” Torrent barrels into her, knocking the both of them to the ground. Before she can look up, a bright stream of light blinds her, and Bandit lets out a pained yelp as he is rocketed towards the other end of the field and into a tree, cracking the trunk. The two of them stand again, staring at Bandit across the field, who was struggling to stand back up.

“Looks like y’all might need some help.” A low voice chuckled at them.

Teal eyes gleamed at them in amusement, fiery-red hair framing the woman’s face. Torrent sighed, laughing.

“Goddesses be damned, Rana. The fuck did you go?”

“Had to help some friends.” Her hand rested on Tear’s head, his hat oddly absent.

Ravio walked forward, pulling a small metal rod from the bag at his side, before pulling the bag off and handing it to Tear. He held his arm out, the rod flat on his palm. He threw it up into the air, two tapered ends shooting out on the sides, flat, sharp spearheads adorning the tips. He caught it again, using his fingers to spin it in a circle in front of him, before bringing it to his side, pointing out.

“Haven’t fought with you in a while, Soldiers. Hope you haven’t gone rusty on me.” He snickers, peering back at Warrior and Zoey. The surprised looks on their faces must have been obvious, since Ravio laughs, before turning forward again. “What? Thought I didn’t recognize ya? Me and Rana both do.” Rana chuckles, shooting a wink at the two captains.

“I’m taking Tear back to the ship. I think you guys can handle yourselves for now.” She places her hand on Tear’s shoulder, shooting a two-handed salute as the two of them disappear in purple smoke.

“Alright….” Ravio steps in front of Torrent and Serenity, placing himself between them and Bandit. The Dark had finally managed to stand up again, bracing himself on the tree. He shook his whole body, like a dog would, and whipped his head back towards the group. His glowing eyes landed on Ravio, and more of the blue drool poured out of his mouth, as his entire body began to vibrate.

Bandit crouched on all fours, and bolted towards them, bounding over the field at an inhuman speed. Ravio ran forward as well, holding his spear out in front of him. Bandit jumped, and just as he was descending, Ravio flattened himself to the ground, sliding, and shoved the spear upwards, catching it on Bandit’s feet.

Before Bandit could right himself, a silver chain wrapped itself around his waist, yanking him to the side. Zoey threw the other end of the chain, a small scythe catching its blade in the loops of the chainlinks, and she began to swing the chain over her head, causing Bandit to swing through the air as well. She brought the chain up, before slamming it down, creating a small crater where Bandit hit the ground. The familiar bright light shot out from either side of Zoey, speeding in small arcs towards Bandit, converging on him and hitting at the same time. Blue light seemed to drip off Warrior’s sword, and he ran forward, vaulting off Zoey’s shoulder and sending a third, horizontal beam at Bandit, who had managed to stand up. He was knocked back to the ground, and two large vines shot up, encasing him. A smaller one wrapped itself over his mouth.

“That wasn’t so hard….” Ravio stands up, making his way towards the imprisoned Shadow.

“That was too easy…actually. Wait…Ravio, get away from him!” Torrent shouted. Before Ravio can turn, a massive boom shakes the earth, knocking him back. The vines holding Bandit down split, sinew snapping and splinters flying. The ground continues to shake, the earth beneath everyone’s feet turning to something like sand. Bandit leaps up, ripping the vine off his mouth. As the others struggle to regain any sort of footing, the young Dark moves easily over the sand, and yanks Serenity out by her throat.

She begins to spasm, as whatever force is being emitted from Bandit’s body begins to ricochet through hers. Her wooden complexion begins to crack, glowing green light emitting from the deep fissures being created.

 **“W h e r e i s t h e H e i r”** Bandit grates out, more of the blue liquid falling from his mouth as he speaks. Serenity stares down at him, baring her teeth.

 ** _“You….will never know. She is…out of your reach.”_** She hisses, before a smirk finds it way onto her face. Bandit cocks his head, before his eyes widened as a blinding light blasted him back from behind her. He dropped her, and was sent careening to the other side of the field.

Green dropped Sky on the ground, emerald wisps of wind surrounding him as he made his way through the air towards Serenity. Blue crackles of electricity still sparked off of Sky’s sword as he stabbed it into the ground to lean on it. Bandit’s body dissipated into a black pool of sludge, before the substance itself disappeared as well.

“Y’all alright?” Green helped Serenity stand, Torrent kicking up a breeze with the Wind Waker to pull the others and himself out of the pulverized earth.

“Yeah….wait…Four?” Warrior furrows his brow at Green, slowly standing up.

“Ugh….long story…Call me Green.” Green waves his hand, holding Serenity up. A glowing yellow liquid began to seep from the cracks in Serenity’s face, her eyes flickering from their normal green to a complete golden color. “Torrent! Do you know how we could help Serenity?”

Torrent stares at Green for a moment, then shakes his head a bit. “Uh…y-yeah, yeah it’s happened before. Come on…gotta get her to the castle.”

“Alright. Everyone crowd around me.” Wind whips up around the group, lifting them into the air. Torrent’s eyes don’t leave Green as they soar through the air, or even when they’ve landed in from of the large stone building bearing Hyrule’s crest.

“Do we have a problem?” Green asks him, his voice a low, slightly threatening tone. “You’ve been staring at me this whole time.”

Torrent flinched, clearing his throat. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to come off rude. But…ya know we coulda just….used the Wind Waker. You didn’t have to carry all of us.” He crosses his arms, trying to keep eye contact under Green’s bemused glare.

“Well…you seemed to be struggling to pull people out of that sand one by one, so I though it would be best if I moved us all at once, myself. Just made things easier, didn’t want to put all that weight on you.” Green turned on his heel, flipping his cloak back to settle behind him.

Torrent stares after Green in surprise, then scoffed. “ _‘Didn’t want to put all that weight on you.’”_ He makes a face, imitating Green’s voice under his breath. He sticks his tongue out at the man’s retreating form, kicking the dirt. _“Well, fuck you, I coulda carried them if I wanted to.”_ He continues to mutter under his breath as he follows the group into the castle.

“Any idea what’s wrong with him, Anjean?” Tetra stood with her arms crossed, staring down at the barely-conscious Vio. A woman with a high lavender ponytail stood up from Vio’s bedside, shaking her head. The group was standing in a large room that seemed to be acting as a sort of medical wing for the castle.

“It’s some kind of infection. The shadow one is right, something has invaded his body. I recommend there is no merging until he can be healed. This could kill all of them.” She folds her hands together, her long lavender sleeves covering them.

DJ stood in the corner of the room, staring out a large window on the opposite wall. Vio’s bed was to her right, and every so often she’d spare a glance towards him, furrowing her brows.

“So what are we going to do when we need to leave?” She finally speaks up, catching Torrent’s attention.

“What do you mean, ‘leave’?” He crosses his arms, moving slightly to allow Red to pass him and crawl into Vio’s bed, laying beside him. Torrent approaches DJ, a confused look on his face. “You can’t move him, it’s too risky. We can’t let Four re-merge either, it’ll put all of them in danger. I can’t believe he’s been walking around with Vio like that this whole time, either.” He shoots a look to Vio and Red.

DJ sighs, grabbing Torrent’s wrist and pulling him out of the room. “Come with me.” She leads him down the empty hallway, her steps silent compared to Torrent’s loud, clunky stomps. She lets go of him, shooting a look back towards the room, before locking eyes with Torrent.

“I remembered something. But it isn’t anything from my past. It seems to be something about this world. I don’t why or how I know it, but….it’s like a feeling…..that I know it’s right. I know, that makes, like, no sense, but-”

“I get what you mean.”

“Okay…. The ‘infection’ Vio has? It’s a Shadow Infection. Some kind of…dark being has infected his body. But it isn’t just Vio. The entirety of Four was infected, it’s just affecting Vio the most right now. The others are infected as well, and that thing is going to keep getting worse and worse. It doesn’t matter if they merge or stay split. They’re all going to die if it isn’t dealt with. At least if they’re merged they’ll die together. The group has to keep moving. It’s our best chance of figuring out something to help Four.”

“Why do you care?” Torrent stares at her, an unknown emotion swimming in his brown eyes. “When you first got here, you sure as hell seemed like you couldn’t care less about any of them. Why are you suddenly so worried?”

DJ grits her teeth, shutting her eyes tightly. She breathes in, her fingers twitching as she exhales. “I don’t know, Torrent. It’s just this….weird feeling that I can’t get rid of. Once I had….kinda, just…Fuck…I can’t talk!” She threads her fingers into her hair, balling her hands up. Torrent flinches, his hands hovering by her arms.

“Okay, hang on. Try and slow down.” His glare had softened, a worried expression replacing it. DJ went silent for a moment, as she tried to focus on her breathing.

“It’s like…there’s something telling me…that I need to protect you guys. I don’t know what it is, or where it came from. Or why it’s there. But I just know….that despite me not knowing anything about myself or my past, there was a reason I came here. I meant to come here. And I think it was to find all of you. And others as well. I’m supposed to do something.” She released her hair from her hands, opening her eyes. She lets out a long sigh. “You should check on Serenity.”

“Serenity is fine. This isn’t the first time she’s gotten cracked.” Torrent crosses his arms again. “Where exactly are you guys planning on going?”

“Apparently there’s more people than just the soldier and the kid and all of them. Sky told me there’s a good 5 more people at least that are still missing. We have to figure out a way to find them.”

“Rana could help. The big red-headed chick. She can cross through worlds and stuff. She could help you guys.”

**_“I don’t know why you always do this, Rana… You left Hilda alone just to stay in this shithole, for what?! To be drunk and splatter fucking paint on the walls!?”_ **

**_“Fuck off, Ravioren. I can do whatever the hell I want. I don’t need to take care of some bratty little Queen.”_ **

**_“You’re wasting your life away here, Rana.”_ **

**_“I SAID FUCK OFF!”_ **

_“DJ? DJ! Are you alright?!”_ Torrent’s voice was muffled in DJ’s ears, an intense ringing drowning it out.

It felt like something had smacked her in the back of the head, a painful throbbing pulsating in her skull. The sensation rippled through her entire body, and her knees buckled. Torrent’s arms hooked under her shoulders and knees as he lifted her into the air. Black creeped into the edges of DJ’s vision, before she fell unconscious.

**_What’s happening?_ **

**_You are seeing their memories._ **

**_Who’s memories?_ **

**_Well, right now, it’s those two Loruleans’ memories._ **

**_“Loruleans”?_ **

**_Right… You may be seeing others’ memories, but you lack your own._ **

**_How do you know about that?_ **

**_Really? That is the question you ask, but not who I am?_ **

**_You’d give me a cryptic answer anyways._ **

**_Smart child._ **

**_I try._ ** **_I don’t want to see their memories._ **

**_Why not?_ **

**_It’s invasive. Not my business._ **

**_Oh, but you always liked seeing peoples’ memories before. Though, of course, you wouldn’t remember that._ **

_**“Rana Havens.** Her name is Rana Havens.” A tall man with ginger-red hair smiled proudly as he pulled a small girl by the hand to stand in front of him. She gripped the end of the black and blue striped scarf tied around the man’s waist and neck, hiding her face with it. Her hair matched his, though her eyes were an emerald green compared to the man’s almost black ones._

_She wore a knee-length purple dress, golden embroidery adorning the hem. The sleeves were short, allowing the black, long-sleeved shirt she was wearing underneath it to be visible. Around her left bicep was a golden bracelet, a large purple jewel embedded in the middle._

_“So this is the little one.” A woman with short, dark purple hair, and a kind, tired smile, bent down in front of Rana. “Hello, sweetheart. I am Queen Nediva. But you can call me Nedi if you like. Thank you for bringing her, Yuga. I’m sure she’ll make a fine guard someday. Is she yours? You never did tell me.”_

_Yuga hums, petting Rana’s head affectionately. “In a way. I adopted her, really. Found her all alone in the forest one day. Nothing but that little bracelet and a white dress on her. Her hair took hours to tame. She doesn’t look like any race I’ve seen. Though she does resemble one I believed to be called ‘Gerudo’.”_

_Nedi raises her eyebrows in surprise. “Well, if that is true. Then you are someone truly very special, Rana. How did you pick the name ‘Rana’?”_

_“She told it to me.”_

_“So, she **can** speak?”_

_“It was only thing she’s said. She hasn’t spoken since. I believe she can understand, but she cannot articulate well. I have been teaching her, and she learns quickly, but either she is slow with words or simply refuses. She is quite a handful.” Yuga ruffles Rana’s hair, ignoring her protestive swatting at his hands._

_“Children always are.” Nedi stands. She turns, waving her hand to one of the guards nearby. “Please bring Ravioren. I’d like to introduce him to his new classmate.” The guard bowed, then left the room. “I think you’ll like him, Rana. He is a bit shy, like you, but you’ll be learning together from now on.”_

_The guard soon returned, with a young boy at his side. He had the same dark purple hair as the queen, though his eyes were the same vibrant green as Rana’s. A long-sleeved, white turtleneck was visible beneath the violet tunic he wore, a matching hat adorning his head._

_“Ravioren. Why do you insist on wearing that hat instead of your crown?” Nedi clicked her tongue, her hand immediately reaching for her own, adjusting it. Her heels clicked on the stone floor as she approached the boy, her lavender robes spilling over the ground when she crouched to pick him up._

_“I don’t like it very much. It’s heavy and hurts my ears.” Ravioren huffs, kicking his bare feet out around Nedi from his new position on her hip. His eyes landed on Yuga, a frown immediately placing itself on his face, and he turns his head, staring at the ground behind Nedi._

_“Ravioren. This is Rana. She is the new arrival I told you about. She’s going to be attending the same class as you.” She pats his back, coaxing him to look back again. He turns his head back, looking down at Rana from Nedi’s arms. The glare he had softens, before it becomes a blank expression and he drops his head onto Nedi’s shoulders, his hand reaching for his mouth. He picks at his lips fitfully, waving a small bit with his other hand. “I think they’ll get along just fine.” Nedi chuckles, setting Ravioren down. “Go show her around, dear. Me and Yuga need to speak about grown-up things.”_

_Yuga gently pushed Rana forward, pulling her hands off of his scarf. Ravioren took off at a brisk pace, Rana tripping slightly as she runs after him._

_Ravioren led the girl through the winding halls of Lorule Castle, Rana barely managing to keep up with his quick steps. Finally, he stopped short in front of a pair of large metal doors, Rana nearly colliding into him. He grabbed onto the large handles, grunting a bit as he tugs them open. Behind the door is a small garden, a massive tree situated in the middle. Its branches reached into the balconies of the castle’s top stories, its leaves creating a canopy that plunged the garden into darkness. Hundreds of small lanterns were strewn along the ground and hung from the lower branches of the tree._

_“Nobody comes out this far to the back of the castle, so I can come here when I don’t want to deal with anyone.” He waves her along. “Can you climb trees?” Rana stares at him a moment, before nodding. Ravioren turns back towards the tree, hooking his foot onto one of the gnarled roots. “Come on then.”_

_The duo settled in a hammock of sorts that was situated between two large branches. They weren’t too far from the ground, but it was still a high enough spot to make Rana a little nervous._

_“You’ll be fine as long as you don’t jump around or anything. I made this spot for when I don’t want **her** to find me. She wants me to act like a prince, but I don’t like it very much. I don’t even think I’m really her son. Maybe she just found me one day and decided to bring me home. Guess that’s just how it goes. She said you’re like, a year older than me. I’m 10, so I guess that means you’re 11? Where’d you get that bracelet?” Ravioren chatters on, Rana a bit taken aback at how quickly he was speaking. She looked over at the bracelet around her arm, then shrugged._

_“You don’t talk much.”_

_“You talk a lot.” Her voice is quiet, almost a whisper, but it holds a slightly annoyed tone to it. Ravioren’s eyes widen in shock, then he smiles._

_“I assumed you **couldn’t** talk. It made me a little more comfortable, but I guess you’re not.”_

_“Did you think I was a mute?”_

_“Kinda.”_

_“You’re very rude, I hope you realize that.” Rana huffs, crossing her arms._

_Ravioren shrugs, the impish smile never leaving his face. “That’s unfortunate.”_

_“So your name is spelled **R-A-N-A.** And mine is spelled **R-A-V-I-O-R-E-N**. See?” Ravioren points to each of the letters, before handing the pencil in his hand to Rana. “Now you try.”_

_“ **R-A-N-A.** Rana… **R-A-V-I-O** …. Ravio.” Rana stops after the first five letters of Ravioren’s name, pointing to it._

_“It’s…not **‘rah-vee-oh’.** It’s **‘ruh-veer-ehn’.”** He writes his name out again, pointing to each of the letters. Rana takes the pencil back, writing “Ravio” again._

_“Ravio.”_

_“No.” He laughs, trying to take the pencil back, but she holds it out of his reach. “That’s not how you say it. Or spell it.”_

_“Ravio.” Rana says again, pointing to the letters. Ravioren hangs his head, chuckling. He looks back up at her._

_“Ravio?” He echoes, raising an eyebrow at her. She nods, a smile making its way onto her face._

_**“Ravio.”** _

_“Rana!!! RANARANARANARANARANARANA!” Ravio runs circles around the young woman, who stared forward with an annoyed glare. She sighs, pulling the hood up on her cloak, the rabbit ears draping to the sides. “Oh come oooonnnnn.” He bumps her side, earning a low growl. He snickers, grabbing the edge of her hood, and pulling it up slightly. “Hi.”_

_Rana glares at him, unamused. “Hello, Ravio. Can you get the fuck out of my way?” She adjusts the pin at the front of the scarf around her neck, and smooths the part of the scarf wrapped around her waist._

_“WOAH there, Miss Royal Guard. Language~” He coos, dropping her hood after she swats his hand._

_“Fuck off, Ravio. I’m kind of busy and don’t need you following me around like a damn puppy all the time.” She huffs, walking away from him. He catches up again, leaning forward to see her under the hood._

_“You wound me, Rana~. I just want to hang out with my sister~” He props his arm on her shoulder. Rana growls again, jerking his arm off, and yanking her hood down._

_“We are **not** related, Ravio. Hilda may call me her big sister, but that doesn’t make us related. I don’t give a damn if you’re her older brother or not. I am **not** your sister. I am simply trying to do my job and take care of her, especially since your mother has become sick.” She presses a finger to Ravio’s chest, following as he continues to take steps back, and glaring down at him when he hits the wall. “I do not need your wannabe-Hero ass following me around constantly. You’re 16, you can take care of yourself, so I don’t need to take care of you like I do with Hilda. **So. Fuck. Off.”**_

_She turns on her heel, storming down the hall. Ravio stares after her, his hand pressed against the spot her finger had dug into. He looks down at his other hand, the triangular pin that had adorned the front of Rana’s scarf._

_“Should probably pay more attention to your surroundings, Rana~” He snickers, jumping at Rana’s loud yelling that sounded at the other end of the hallway. “OH SHIT!!” He sprints off, cackling as Rana’s furious footsteps thundered after him._

_**“Why did you run, Rana? Was it because of me? Hilda? Yuga? I know he’s always pressuring you, but-”** _

_**“I didn’t run because of any of you, Ravio! I ran because…. Because I’m just tired. Okay?” Rana pressed her hands to her face, trying to wipe away the tears falling down her face.** _

_**“Rana…Come home. Hilda misses you terribly… And so do I.” Ravio places a hand on Rana’s shoulder, using his other to try and pull her hands from her face. “We miss our sist-”** _

_**“I’M NOT YOUR SISTER!” She rips away from him, her shout causing Ravio to stumble a few steps backward. “I NEVER WANTED TO BE YOUR SISTER! HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF THAT?! ALL YOU’VE EVER SEEN ME AS WAS A SIBLING, AND I HATE IT!”** _

_**“Why?! Why are you so against being part of our family, Rana?!” Ravio’s voice began to rise, almost matching Rana’s. He gritted his teeth, trying to calm himself. “Why are you so against us loving you?”** _

_**“I’m fine with Hilda seeing me as a sister, but not you, Ravio.” Rana’s voice lowered to a whisper.** _

_**“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” He shouts, waving his hands in the air. He growls loudly, digging his fingers into his hair. “You’ve said this before, but I can’t ever figure out what you mea-” He’s cut off by Rana’s hands gripping his shirt and pulling him forward.** _

_**Dark green eyes stare down at him, tears still pricking at the edges of them. “I mean….I’m not against you loving me….I just don’t want you to love me like a sister, Ravio.” She holds him in place, their faces centimeters apart. “You really are dumb if you couldn’t figure that out. Even Hilda knew. And she’s 12.”** _

_**Ravio’s eyes were wide, but a mischievous glint seemed to glitter in them. A wide smirk pulled at his lips, as he shot a wink at Rana.** _

_**“Gotcha.”** _

_**Rana looked at him in confusion, but before she could speak, Ravio closed the distance between them, his hands threading into the hair at the back of her head. She breathes in sharply through her nose, Ravio giggling against her mouth. He pulls back, stepping out of her reach.** _

_**“Thing is, I’ve known for a long time. Hilda told me. Just been trying to figure out a way to get you to finally admit it on your own. Soooooo~ If you wanna kick my ass you’re gonna have to come home, cause I’m leaving. BYYYEEEEEEE!!!!” He bolts out the door of the small cottage they had been standing in, leaving Rana to stare at his retreating form.** _

_**“Oh you little shit.” She growls, running after him, slamming the door behind her.** _

_Stop. I don’t want to see any more of their memories._

_Why?_

_It’s not my business to know._

_But, see, the thing is. It IS your business. It’s your whole purpose in this world. You tell their stories. And you can’t tell a story if you don’t know it._

_What are you talking about?!_

_You are our story-teller, D- **AMMDKGOJOEJTJTJJJJ.**_

_What?_

_Oh that’s right. I am not allowed to speak your name just yet. That was an unpleasant sensation._

_What the fuck._

_I am guessing that was a statement rather than a question._

_No shit._

_Well, it is time for you to wake up anyways._

_GOOD! GOOD FUCKING RIDDANCE DUDE._

_Oh, we will speak again. It’s just that….a very special someone is in your room. I think it’s high-time you met her._

_Who?_

_Your **sjejgjgekkkw. SHIT. THAT HURT.** I’m just so forgetful these days. Let’s just say she is someone very special to you._

_**So wake up.** _

DJ shot up, breathing heavily. A soft gasp from her side caused her to whip her head to the right. Zoey stared at her from a stool set a few feet from the bed.

“Are you alright?” Zoey’s voice is rough when she speaks. She stands, approaching DJ’s bedside. “You shouldn’t try to move so quickly. You’re going to hurt yourself.” She places her hands on DJ’s shoulders, pushing her to lay back down slowly.

“How long have I been out?” DJ lays back, staring up at Zoey as she sits on the edge of the bed.

“Since yesterday. It’s about noon right now.”

“Huh…” DJ stares at the white-haired woman, as if searching for an answer to the voice’s words. “Who are you?”

“Oh! My name is Zoey. I was with Ravio and them. I’m part of the group Sky and Four got separated from. Hi there.” She smiles, extending her hand to shake. DJ takes it, still eyeing her warily after she lets go. “Is something wrong?”

“No. It’s nothing. Just….you look familiar. Can’t place it, though.”

“Oh… Well, I definitely don’t know you. That’s odd, though.” She stands up, and begins to head towards the door of the room. “I’ll be right back, alright? Please try not to move around too much.” She shoots another smile at DJ, who simply nods, before rolling over onto her side.

Zoey leaves the room, shutting the door gently. A wave of nausea hit her, and she bolted to the end of the hall, falling into one of the small bathrooms. She leaned over the sink, gripping the edges. She breathes heavily, fighting to keep from losing her last meal.

She manages to keep from throwing up, but as she looks up into the small mirror situated above the sink, a look of horror crosses her face.

“No….no no nononononono.” She presses her hand against her stomach, a dim glow emitting from it. She pulls it away, turning her palm up in the air. “Please no.” A small yellow orb hovered above her hand. She stared at it, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Please not again. It’s not supposed to happen!” To her dismay, a smaller yellow orb appeared, circling around the larger one. A choked sob fell from her lips, as she covered her mouth with her other hand. She fell back against the wall behind her, sinking to the floor.

**_He’s going to kill me. This wasn’t supposed to happen again._ **

****

****

**_“Twitchy?”_ **

**_“Yes, Tenn?”  
_ **

**_“Is Zoey…?”_ **

**_“Don’t ask. Just keep listening to the story.”  
_ **

**_“Aaaggghhhhh.”  
_ **

**_“I can just stop now, and leave you hanging.”  
_ **

**_“Twitchy, noooooo.”  
_ **

**_“’Twitchy yessss.”  
_ **

**_“Assetry.”  
_ **

**_“Shut up.”  
_ **

**_“Hmph.”_ **


	15. Hyrule-Bound, But Never Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome.

**Five.**

**Four.**

**Three.**

**Two.**

**One.**

**Welcome. You are playing the game known as:**

##  **Hyrule-Bound, But Never Found**

**Please enter a name.**

**-Link**

**Are you sure this is the name you want?**

**-Yes**

**Name confirmed.**

**Enjoy the game.**

**_The sound of chains rattling echo against the stone walls of the catacombs. The red eyes of a young dark peer out into the dim hall from behind metal bars. His cold breath forms clouds in the air around him. He wraps his hands around the bars, ice creeping up the metal. Suddenly, soft footsteps are heard frantically running down the hall, and he jolts back, hiding in the corner._ **

**_A fiery-red head of hair blurs by, blood-red robes covering a pitch black body. The figure passes by the young one’s cell, pattering over the one beside it. He peeks his head through the bars, staring at the being now peering into the adjacent cell._ **

**_The new arrival wraps his fingers around the bars of the cell he was standing before. The sound of chains rattling echoed once more, before a set of blue eyes became visible, glittering in the darkness._ **

**_“Who are you?” A rough, rasping voice growled from the shadows.  
_ **

**_“My name is Mise. I’m here to help you, Hero.”  
_ **

**_“You’re the little Prince that Vanity fellow was talking about. Why would I trust you?”  
_ **

**_“Because I’m risking my life to be down here. If Maligna finds out, he will kill me. I’m not the first Prince they’ve tried to make.” Mise grabs the lock hanging on the prisoner’s cell door, and rips it off. He slowly opens the door, approaching the man cautiously.  
_ **

**_“You sure you want to do that, boy?” The man’s voice growls out, the chains rattling as he shifts.  
_ **

**_“Yes. They need your help.” He kneels by the man’s side, hooking his nails on the chains binding him. The screech of metal rings in the man’s ears as Mise slices them with his nails.  
_ **

**_“Who needs my help?”  
_ **

**_“The Heirs. Please. You have to find them. I don’t have much time before they decide I’m old enough to use.”_ **

**_“Use for what?”  
_ **

**_“You ask too many questions! Please go!” Mise helps him up, leading him out of the cell. He bends to pick up a small pile of clothes next to the cell. “These are for you. Please, you have to hurry.”  
_ **

**_“You don’t even know my name, kid. What makes you think I’m going to be of any use to what you’re trying to do?” The man stares at the young Dark, who returns the gaze with as much intensity.  
_ **

**_“You’re a Hero. It’s what you do, isn’t it? Please don’t let them destroy everything.”  
_ **

**_The man scoffs, pulling the cloak from the top of the pile onto his shoulders. He pulls the hood up, a faint golden light shining from his left hand._ **

**_His smile is all that can be seen under the hood, a glowing triangular symbol lighting it up in the barely-lit hallway._ **

**_“Well. Guess I’m Hyrule-bound again. Let’s hope this time, I’m never found.”_ **

**_“Promise me, you’ll help us?”  
_ **

**_“Ha! No promises, kid.” The man turns on his heel, bolting down the hallway.  
_ **

**_Mise stares after him, clasping his hands together._ **

****

**_Please don’t leave us to Her wrath._ **

****

****

****

**_Would you like to save your progress?_ **

**_-Yes_ **

**_-No_ **

**_~~_ **


	16. The Beginning (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to the beginning.

_After the Golden Goddesses created the land, they left the world, leaving behind the holy relic usually known as the **Triforce,** Delilah held this relic to her bosom, blessing the land. At this moment, the Triforce was known as the **Tetraforce**. The **True Force of Creation.**_

_After blessing the land, however, she pulled the **Force of Balance** from the middle, leaving the empty space in the center of the relic. **With the Force of Balance** in her palm, she split it, into the **Forces of Order** **and Chaos.**_

_She then gave life to two new beings._

“ **Hylia** …the **White Goddess of Order.** And **Fayra.**..the **Black Goddess of Chaos.”** _The silver-eyed woman stared lovingly down at the newborn goddesses._ “You two….will nurture the beings of the earth, and show them how to Balance their natures between Order and Chaos.”

_Hylia was adventurous, and wildly curious about the new creatures and beings she and Fayra would take care of in the new world. Fayra was shy, never wishing to partake in Hylia’s miniature journeys through the lands. Hylia was outgoing and friendly, while Fayra was quiet and stayed in the shadows._

_The **Silver Goddess** made two Spirits. **Gheralora and Ghirahim.** They would be the guiding lights of the young goddesses and help teach them. **Gheralora** looked after the young goddess of **Order,** while **Ghirahim** looked after the goddess of **Chaos.**_

_Hylia got along well with both of the Spirits. She was a quick learner and listened well, and became very close with Gheralora. Fayra was not as cooperative. She was tolerant of Gheralora, but she was constantly trying to terrorize Ghirahim. The Spirit once had long white hair that matched Gheralora’s, until one night Fayra snuck into his chambers and chopped it off, slicing part of his left ear off. After that incident, Delilah herself took to looking after Fayra. The child was very unruly. She began to grow into a danger to the inhabitants of the new world._

_One day, while out amongst a group of Gorons, a young one had crossed Fayra’s path, tripping on their feet and falling to the ground. Fayra approached the young Goron, staring down at them. She crouched by them, pressing her hand to their head. She helped them sit up, her hand resting under their chin._

_**She then ripped their throat out.** _

_Delilah went into a blind rage, dragging the child back to the Hall of the Gods. Fayra kicked and screamed, still covered in the blood of the young Goron. The other Gods and Deities that resided there fled the Hall, afraid to see what the angered Goddess would do to the child. She pulled her along, all the way to the child’s room, throwing her in._

_The goddess stared at the girl, anger and pain blazing in her silver eyes. Fayra stared back, matching hues locked together. Delilah quickly approaches her again, sweeping her up into her arms, and falling to her knees on the floor._  
  
“Why would you do such a thing? These creatures love you, and you killed one of them. A child. A child, like you! Why do you break my heart like this, Fayra?” _Delilah sobbed with the girl held tight in her arms, the blood splattered on Fayra’s dress now staining her own. Fayra stared at the mirror resting against the wall of her room, the visage of her and Delilah reflecting back. Black tendrils creeped at the edges of the mirror, rippling and twisting._

“Because I love them, too, Mother. And I love you. Nobody can live without pain. So I had to show them that.”

~~~

_Years after the incident, a new arrival appeared in the **Hall of the Gods**. He called himself **Ferox,** a **Fierce Deity.** The war god’s appearance brought an uproar in the Hall, many seeing it as an omen of tragedy to come. Ferox bore the insults and poisonous words with grace and kept quiet, allowing them to express their anger. Finally, Delilah silenced them, calling a woman to her side. **Enora** , a **Protective Deity** , and the handmaid of Delilah, stood at the goddess’s side, staring down the man with a hard glare. They stood in silence for multiple moments, the other gods in the hall quickly becoming more and more nervous._

“If you gods can deal with Abhora being in this hall, then you can deal with having a Fierce One in here. A War God is no worse than a Death God.” _Enora’s voice boomed over the hall, echoing in the walls. A giggling chitter resounding from the south end of the room, as fast-paced footsteps pattered up to where Ferox was standing. A man with bright blue and red hair, wearing a deep purple chiton, latched onto Ferox’s arm._

“Helloooo~ Don’t worry about these old farts. Us newer gods gotta stick together, ya know? I popped up a few years ago, they didn’t like me either.” _He scrunches his nose, smiling. Ferox simply stared at **Abhora,** a slightly confused expression on his face. Delilah chuckled lightly from her throne at the head of the hall. Ferox’s attention was brought back to her. Her face held a sad expression, but her gaze was soft._

“Your arrival is a dark omen, Fierce One. But we will not cast you out, lest we bring about an even more terrible fate upon ourselves. Do you know of what is to come for us?”

“A terrible evil is on its way to the mortal world. It plans to consume everything it touches, and destroy every living creature. A bloody war is coming your way, Goddess.”

“Does this evil have a name?”

**“Demise. The Demon King.”**

~~~

“HE IS A **_MAJORA!_** A TRAITOR!” _The gods of the hall shrieked out. Curled on the floor, Abhora shook with rage and sadness, his face covered in the blood of unknown mortals. His eyes were wide as he stared at his reflection on the tiles below him, fixed on the multi-colored horns that had ripped through his body from the terrible emotions flooding his body._

 _Abhora’s tears hit the tile, his body now shaking with sobs_. “I am not a **Majora!** I did not hurt them. You don’t understand! She’s helping him! She took Ghirahim! FAYRA IS HELPING DEMISE!”

“LIAR!”

“Stop.” _Delilah’s voice echoed, her voice cracking slightly._ “Repeat what you just said, Abhora.”

“Fayra is helping Demise. She took Ghirahim. She’s corrupted him and made him into a Demon Sword.”

“What, like the one you wield?!” _The rogue god continues to yell, before being cut off by Enora’s harsh glare._

“Worse. She’s going to give him to Demise. She plans to kill you, Mistress, and Hylia.”

~~~

“What is the one of those putrid Goddesses doing here?!”

“I’ve come with gifts. The Sword Spirit, Ghirahim. I have corrupted him. And brought him to you.”

“Why would a little Goddess do such a thing for me?”

“Because you may be the only way I can finally leave that wretched Hall of Gods for good. My name is Fayra. I am the Black Goddess of Chaos. And I pledge my allegiance to you, Demon King Demise.”

~~~

**_“Your name is Fireni. You are going to assist the Goddess Hylia in her quest. Help her. Keep her safe. I cannot bear to lose another of my children.”_ **

**_“As you wish, Mistress.”_ **

**_~~~_ **

**_“Your power will be sealed in this mask, until one who is worthy retrieves it. Only the one who strives to protect the happiness and love of others shall be able to use your power. Only the one who is loved by all and loves all shall be able to release you once more.”_ **

**_~~~_ **

**_“Why did you do all of this, Fayra?”_ **

**_“Because I love you. And I can’t let you sit there blindly believing you will never feel any pain.”_ **

**_“How would you know whether I have felt pain or not, Fayra?”_ **

~~~

The young Minish’s frustrated grunts were the only noise to be heard in between the blades of grass, other than the rustling from the large medallion behind her being dragged along.

“WHY IS THIS THING SO _HEAVVYYY!!?!?_ ” She shrieked, flopping onto the ground, and leaning against the side of the locket. “I have to get this to Link as soon as I can, but does it have to be so much bigger than me? Aahhhhh….” She presses her cheek to the cool metal, huffing.

The blades of grass swayed softly in the gentle breeze that blew threw the field. The girl sighed, drawing her legs up to her chest. She played with the hem of her dress’s sleeves, staring up at the sky through the grass.

 _“Need some help?”_ An amused voice sounded right at her ear, causing her to jump up, holding her small hands in fists. The person laughed, holding their hands up. “Woah there, Lily! Sorry, didn’t mean to scared you. Well….. _nah_ I totally meant to scare you.”

A dark grey arm is pressed onto the edge on the medallion. A stark-white smile glitters at Lily, bright against a dark face. The person’s eyes were a dark red, barely visible rings in the middle of them belying where their pupils were. Almost-black curls surrounding their head in a cloud-like afro, a lavender-tipped feather hanging from a single braid that sat by their left temple.

“I really do not like you, sometimes, Rose.” Lily drops her hands, placing them on her hips. “I see you’re putting that feather to good use.”

“You know it, shortstack. Though I still don’t know why you call me ‘Rose’. You never really explained what the reason behind that was.”

“How about you help me get this medallion to Link’s house and I tell you?” She crosses her arms, tilting her head.

Rose scoffs, guffawing at her. “Wow! Just gonna use me for manual labor, huh? Want me to just tug it through the Dark World?”

“No! That would just be lazy! You are going to help me drag it!”

“Or I could go back to being big and just….carry it?”

“No! It is lazy! I have to drag it there.” Lily turns towards the medallion, tugging the chain and wrapping it around her body.

“Why? That makes it so much more difficult than it needs to be.” He sighs, grabbing onto the chain.

~

“THAT TOOK SO LONG! AAHHHH” Lily flops on top of the medallion, making various distressed noises. Rose stares at her with a confused expression.

“Well, it would’ve taken a lot longer if I hadn’t helped. Can I please just carry it into the house myself?”

“No! I will drag it in there myself!”

“Can I at least open the door for you so you ain’t gotta wiggle under it?”

“Hmmmmmmm…. _.Fine._ ” She sits up on the medallion’s edge, watching as Rose grabs onto the feather tied to his braid, stepping back. He is engulfed in a red light, and soon a dark grey hand is descending down, offering a seat on one finger to Lily. She latches on, Rose grabbing the medallion with his other hand, slipping it over his wrist as he unlocks the door.

“Set me down on the floor!” Lily shouts up to him, earning an exasperated sigh from Rose. He sets her and the medallion back down, crouching by her. He musses her hair with one of his fingers, ignoring the tiny hands swatting at it.

“Well, I’m gonna dip. Don’t really want him to know I was here.” He leans his cheek on his fist, looking around at the house.

“Wait, why?” Lily tilts her head again, her bobbed hair slipping over her face as she does so.

“ _You know why,_ Lily. I may be **Rose** to you, but I’m still **Shadow** to him.” He stands up, stepping back out of the house through the open door.

“If you are still just **Shadow** to him, _then why did he give you a key to the house?”_ She shouts up at him, an impish smile crossing her face.

Rose glares down at her, flipping his middle finger at her. “Fuck you, shortstack.”

“I am a bit small for that, but you are welcome to try.” She presses her thumb to her nose, wiggling her fingers and sticking her tongue out at him. Rose laughs, shaking his head.

 _“What did I expect? Nothing less.”_ He mutters under his breath, and shutting the door behind him as he leaves. Lily makes a satisfied noise, and dusts off her dress before grabbing onto the medallion’s chain again, dragging it across the floor towards a desk near the middle of the left wall.

She ties the chain around her waist, grabbing onto the small grooves in the desk’s leg, lifting herself and the medallion up.

“Oh this is going to _suck.”_ She grunts as the medallion swings in the air beneath her.

~

“Wow this was not fun.” Lily sighs tiredly as she lays on top of the medallion, running her hands over the heart-shaped engraving. “Why do I have to be so damn tiny….” She sighs again, sliding off onto the desk. She steps to the edge of the table, and jumps off, the petals making up her skirt fanning out, allowing her to easily glide back to the floor.

“Well…I got it here…I guess my job is done.” She takes a step towards the door, but is stopped dead in her tracks by a voice echoing in her head almost painfully.

_You did well in your quest, little one. And as such, you will be rewarded. What do you wish for most in the world?_

_**To be able to be by their sides.** _

_Love is a powerful thing…As you wish._

Lily’s body was engulfed in a silver light, heat washing over her. She felt as if she were floating, being raised into the air. Her snout-like nose felt like it were being pressed closer and closer to her face, her long ears growing flatter against her head. Her hands and feet stretched, as did her clothing.

The light finally faded, and Lily let out a shaky breath, staring at the floor in front of her. She looked down at her hands, which now boasted five thin fingers instead of the three claws. Her feet were flatter, smaller, and also had five appendages, instead of two. She pressed her hands against her face, feeling a small round nose and a smooth face. She ran her hands over her face and down her neck and shoulders.

_Oh. That’s why the clothes were stretching._

Her hands landed on her bare chest, moving to her stomach. “Oh. So I am naked….. Alright.”

The sound of a lock clicking reached her ears, causing her to whip her head towards the door, staring wide-eyed as a familiar head of blonde hair appeared. The new arrival didn’t seem to notice Lily until he had closed the door and turned to begin taking off his shoes.

“AH **FUCK!** ” He cursed, clapping his hands over his eyes. “WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!”

“It’s me, Lily! The Minish girl? Hi, Link!” Lily waves, clearly not as bothered by her bareness as Link was.

“Lily? Why the hell are you in my house, naked, and….Hylian? You don’t even look like a Minish anymore.”

“No idea!”

“Oh my goddesses… There’s a blanket on my bed, can you please grab it and cover yourself up?! _Oh for the love of all that is holy and just…”_ He presses both of his hands over his face.

~

“So….you, dragged this medallion here, all the way from your village. Just to bring it to me. And as you were leaving, some…voice came to you and then. Poof! You’re a Hylian, now?” Link stared at the woman now sitting on his bed in nothing but a blanket, running his hand through his hair and he stared at the medallion resting in his other.

“Yes, I guess so.”

“What the fuck, Lily?”

“Why must you cuss so much?”

“Sorry. Back to topic.” He fiddles with the medallion. “Does this thing open?”

“I think it did once. I would not recommend trying to open it though.”

“Why not?”

“I have no idea!” She chirps happily, smiling at him. This earns a sigh from Link, as he sets the medallion down on the desk.

“So Shadow helped you lug this thing here? Where is he?”

“He left. He said he did not want to be around when you got back.”

 _“Of course he didn’t.”_ Link sits on the chair at his desk, sliding down in it. He rubs his hands over his face, pulling down as he looks at Lily again. “Well, we’re going to have to get you some clothes.”

“Yeah probably. Though….” She gives him a wolfish grin. “We would have a lot more fun if I do not have em.”

“Wow, so you get on me for cussing, but then you make a comment like that? Double standards, much?” He crosses his arms, glaring at her with a playful smirk. She shrugs, and Link rolls his eyes. “We’re getting you clothes, so that I can take em off of ya later.” He stands up, quickly moving to place his hands on either side of her legs, and leaning close to her face. “It’s just boring if there isn’t anything to take off first.”

Lily’s face blooms red, her hand shooting out of the blanket to push his head away from her. “YOU ARE SUCH A PERVERT!!!” She shouts at him.

“SAYS THE GIRL SITTING ON MY BED NAKED!” He shouts back from behind her hand, laughing. “WE’RE GETTING YOU CLOTHES YOU WEIRDO!”

“UUGGGHHHHHH!”

~

_“You know, there’s a reason I let you have that key. So that you could come and go. I gave it to you so that you know you are welcome any time, Shadow.”_

_“I get that, Link, it’s just-”_

_“Just what?! Just that you’re scared? Scared to make any sort of bond with us? Scared to get close to me, to Lily?”_

_“….”_

_“We want you here for a reason, Shadow.”_

Lily’s hand pressed against the side of the doorframe as she hid. She stared at the duo from her spot, sadness overwhelming her at the sight of the pained expression on Shadow’s face. His hair had gotten lighter since the last time she’d seen him, now a deep purple instead of the black it once was, and in neat round braids that formed a bobbed style similar to her own. His skin had lightened as well, though only a little. Link sighed, causing Lily’s eyes to shift to him.

“Lily, you know it’s not polite to eavesdrop.” His voice held an amused tone. She flinched when his eyes met hers, and she slowly stepped out from her spot behind the doorway.

“I am sorry. I was just worried…” She folds her hands in front of her, her eyes landing back on Shadow. “You both seemed upset.”

“Sorry, Lily. Just… Having issues.” Shadow rubs his hands over his face, sighing into them.

“You are like a married couple. Always bickering about idiotic things that could so easily be resolved.” Lily snorts, tilting her head. “You are very stubborn, Rose.” She patters her way up to him, slipping her arms around his waist as she hugs him. “Stay here with us.”

Shadow’s arms hover by Lily’s sides. “I…” He stutters when he tries to speak, tears streaming down his face. Link moves to his side, pressing his forehead against Shadow’s temple, one hand pressing against Shadow’s cheek. Shadow finally wraps his arms around both Link and Lily, his body shaking.

_“Okay…I’ll stay.”_

~~~

**There is something about young love that always makes me so happy…but infuriates me as well. I don’t like this pairing. It bothers me. Why would a Dark love a Light? That is just….**

**_Disgusting._ **

**Guess I’ll have to deal with this myself.**


	17. The Reflection - Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mirror Makers are the worst at hiding their secrets.

_“Link! What have I told you about pushing Enora too hard! Look at her leg!” **  
**_

_“That doesn’t mean you needed to sneak her away from my house, Ilia.”_

_“You have no room to argue with me.”_

_“Fair enough.”_

_~_

_“Tell me…Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?”_

_“When dusk falls I usually feel anger.”_

_“Why is that, Link?”_

_“Because dusk had fallen when I realized I’d never see him again.”_

_~_

_“ALL I EVER WANTED TO KNOW WHO THE FUCK THIS WOMAN WAS! OKAY?! ALL I WANTED WAS TO KNOW WHY SHE WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ME! SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN ME THAT MY FATHER LEFT ME TO FIND HER! HIS STUPID FUCKING SISTER OVER HIS GODDAMN CHILD!”_

_“Link…”_

_“Don’t, Ilia. You ca…you can’t make this any better. I appreciate you trying. I do. But you are just not meant to fix me.”_

_“Even if I’m not meant to fix you, I at least want to help keep you standing. Can’t you at least let me do that?! Just let me care about you, damn it!”_

_“QUIT TRYING! It’ll only bring you down. I am broken beyond repair, Ilia, and nothing is going to keep me together other than myself. This is something I have to come to terms with myself before anybody can hope to make me feel any better.”_

_~_

_“Link? LINK! WHAT DID YOU DO?!”_

_~_

_“This isn’t the answer, my child. Wake up. There are people waiting for you.”_

_“I don’t want to wake up.”_

_“Wake up.”_

_~_

_“Gloam?”_ Sean’s voice broke through Gloam’s thoughts. His hands were pressed on Gloam’s arm, a horrified expression on his face. “What are these?” His fingers run over pale scars on Gloam’s wrists.

“They’re…scars from chains that I was put in.” Gloam moves to pull his arm away, but Sean catches it with his other hand, holding it up.

“No, they aren’t. Please don’t lie to me.” He whispers. Gloam stares down at him in shock, yanking his arm out of Sean’s grip.

“Look, _Sean_. We met like barely a week ago. I’m not going to explain my lifestory to you. They’re scars from chains I was put in. That is all you need to know.” Gloam turns on his heel, stomping off.

~

 **“Chains…yes. Chains that you put on yourself when you were so very young.”** The young, familiar voice echoed from its confines. Gloam growled under his breath, shooting a glare at the mirror in front of him.

“Fuck you, Wolf.”

**“Would that be considered incest or masturbation?”**

Gloam coughs, shooting a disgusted look at the being smirking at him from his Reflection. He had come to know the creature well, by now. It’s pitch black eyes and mouth weren’t as jarring to see as they were the first time. It called itself Gloam’s “Reflection”, his mirror image. But this thing looked nothing like him.

It was thinner and shorter, bearing light brown hair and pale skin. It wore a green tunic and hat, one that looked all too similar to a certain Hero Rusl would tell him stories about. It could take on the form of a wolf, like he could, but even that form looked nothing like his. It was small, much lighter in color. That was usually the form he took when speaking to Gloam, which prompted the nickname “Wolf”.

“You’re fucking weird.”

**“I’m your Reflection. My humor is your own, as are my thoughts and desires. Though, of course, I cannot read your mind. You seem have a fascination with that Sheikah boy. Why is that?”**

“That’s none of your fucking business.”

**“It kind of is. I am you.”**

“If you were me, 1. You’d look like me. 2. You’d know why. So quit asking me questions and fuck off already.”

**“I do look like you. Just not….this you.”**

“Fucking alternate timeline bullshit, again? Fuck all of that.”

**“Would you like to know about him?”**

“No, not really. I’d rather not hear about some Twilight Hero who succeeded while I fucking failed and got locked up for 5 years while my entire fucking family and village is stuck in a spirit world. No, I’d rather not fucking hear some 17 year old kid who managed to kill my fucking great-grandfather and save his kingdom. No. I’d rather not be reminded that I am nothing but a fucking failure at being a goddess-damned HERO!” Gloam begins to shout, rearing his fist back and careening it towards the mirror.

 **“Don’t please!”** Wolf’s voice is frantic when he speaks. Gloam stops short, tears streaming down his face. He lets out a choked sigh, pressing his knuckle against the glass of the mirror. **“If you shatter me, I’ll be gone forever, Link.”**

“I know….I’m sorry.” He slides to his knees in front of the mirror, his arms hanging limply at his sides. Cold hands soon pressed against his cheeks, clawed fingers tangling in his hair. Wolf’s nose pressed to the top of Gloam’s head, freezing breath fanning over his hair.

**“He was just as scared as you. He just got lucky. The Twilight Princess was the Midna woman you met. She helped him, he was able to succeed with her help. But he was just as scared as you, and had just as much of a chance to fail as you did. But you have not yet failed, like you think you have. Your story is just playing out differently than his. You are meant to save someone else first. Then you will be allowed to return to your home and save your friends. But you cannot let yourself be chained down by your emotions.”**

**_Or else you really will fail._ **

****

****

****

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`_ **

**Character Unlock:**

**-Reflection of the Chained Hero: Wolf**

**Known Powers:**

**–Animal Morph**

**–Twilit Aura**

**–Portal Jump**

**–Timeline Jump**

**Known Eras:**

**-The Child Timeline**

**–Era of Twilight**

**–Era of the Wild**

**–Era of Restoration**

**-The Downfall Timeline**

**–Era of the Merge**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_**Welcome to the Reflection.** _

_**Which Mirror would you like to meet next?** _

_**-Hero of the Wild** _

_**-Hero of Time** _

_**-Hero of the Sky** _

_**~** _


	18. The Beginning (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not proofread because this has been in the works for literally 2 months and I just wanted to get it POSTED  
> So.  
> Enjoy, my Lovely Proxies~!!!  
> Creator Twitchy out~

“It was unwise to simply walk into the Hall like that, Fierce One.” Delilah hummed, the soles of her sandals clapping against the stone path of the garden. Ferox chuckled.

“I can see that. Those old Gods are easily angered, aren’t they? But for whatever reason, you are nothing like them. How is it that you were so calm, despite being even older than they?” His eyes hold an amused glint as he stared down at the goddess beside him.

“My _age_ is what gives me my composure. I suggest you watch your tongue with me, little one. I don’t particular like being sassed by any youth, whether they be my daughters or a War God.” She huffs, walking a few steps in front of Ferox, ignoring his amused snickering. “Since I assume you do not have a living space of your own, you may stay in the Hall for now. I am situating you near the Spirits. Maybe you can make yourself useful and help keep an eye on the little ones.”

“I do not think I will be very good with children, my Grace.” Delilah stops at Ferox’s word, her shoulders tensing. She whirls around, stomping up to him. She points a finger in his face, sneering.

**“I am not** **_your_ ** **‘Grace’** **_._ ** **And I suggest you never call me that, ever again. You may have given us information about the Demon King, and I may have saved your arse from the other Gods, but this does** **_not_ ** **mean I am happy with the likes of a War God being in my home.”**

“Oh, but you happily let a Death God in?”

“Death is different from War. Death is natural, and unavoidable. War is dirty, disgusting and pathetic. No amount of glory can be gained from unnatural and unnecessary bloodshed and killing. You are borne from that, so I despise you for it, whether it is just for me to do so or not.” She growls, stepping back. “I am only allowing you anywhere near my girls because you are useful. And you may be able to help me with taming one of them. However, if you prove more trouble than good, I will not hesitant to cull you. ‘Grace’ is a title you give to someone whom is your master. I am not yours. I do not wish to have command over a being who brings only unneeded and unwanted pain to others. ” Delilah’s eyes bore into Ferox, who shifts under her gaze, an unknown, subdued emotion swimming in his own.

“As you wish, Goddess.” He bows, thick locks of white hair nearly touching the ground in front of him. Ferox stares at the stones in front of him, gritting his teeth as he remains in the bow. Delilah’s footsteps resume ahead of him, and he rises once more.

~

“WOAH YOU’RE HUGE!” Fayra shouts, staring up at Ferox with a surprised expression. “You’re that War dude, right?”

“Fayra! **Manners.”** Delilah hisses, pinching the tip of Fayra’s ear. The young goddess seemed unaffected by it, other than the annoyed expression and shake of her head.

Ferox lets out a short laugh, kneeling in front of Fayra. By now, Hylia had pattered up, but remained hiding behind Fayra. “Hello. My name is Ferox. Yes, I am the ‘War dude.’ I am known as a Fierce Deity.” Fayra stares at Ferox for a few moments, before shooting forward and grabbing the large ring hanging from his nose.

“What’s this thing? Are you like one of the bull things the humans have? They kill those bulls, to eat em. Can you be eaten?” Her other hand grabs one of his dreadlocks, yanking on it. Ferox grunts a bit when she pulls, but simply stares down at her. Eventually, she slowly lets go, a wide smile forming on her face. “I like you, War guy. You’re not a weenie like Hylia and Ghira!” She grabs onto Hylia’s hand, yanking her forward. Hylia yelps, using her puffy, curly hair to hide her face.

Ferox readjusts the piercing, rolling his nose and sniffing as he looks at her. He extends his hand to her, palm up. “Hello, Miss Hylia.” She peeks out at him from behind her hair, slowing letting go with one hand and placing it in his. Ferox takes it and gently presses it to his forehead, the back of her hand resting against the marking on his skin. “It is lovely to meet you, dear.” She soon pulls her hand away from his, returning to her spot behind Fayra. Ferox gives her a sympathetic look, standing up. By now, two more people had arrived.

“Ferox. These are the two Guardian Spirits that watch over my girls. This is Ghirahim, Guardian of Fayra.” Delilah gestures to a man in blue-black armor that seemed to contour to his body.

A white jewel was embedded in the chestpiece, a matching blue one hanging from his right ear. His irises were large, blending with his pupils to form one large black orb in each of his eyes. He had short white hair, shaved on the right, the left cut at an angle, the front of it coming to the middle of his neck. The man nods his head, a silent hello. 

“And this is Gheralora, Guardian of Hylia.” Delilah places her hand on the shoulder of Ghirahim’s companion, a short, lithe woman with long white hair.

She wore an outfit similar to Ghirahim, the colors inverted. Her armor was a silvery-white, a large black jewel embedded into the neck piece of the armor, resting just above her chest. She wore a metal circlet on her head, one piece rising up with a red jewel set in the front. On the sides and back of her head were 5 tubular adornments in her hair, that didn’t seem to hold much purpose, and did not look to be part of her hair or headpiece. Her long nails were dug into Ghirahim’s arm, large black eyes staring blankly at Ferox.

Ferox stared back a moment, before bowing slightly. “Hello, Miss Gheralora.” Her eyes bore into him.

_Your breath holds the doom of a dark omen beginning to brew, War God. How is it that you have managed to wiggle your way into our Goddess’s heart?_ A voice echoed in Ferox’s head, a confused look finding its way onto his face. His eyes flickered over to Delilah, who simply stood with her head turned away from him.

“Gheralora will show you to where you will stay. Later, I will ask you more questions pertaining to what you know about this coming war. I have something I need to attend to before then.” Delilah turns on her heel, Ghirahim and the twin goddesses quickly trailing behind her.

~

Ferox and Gheralora walked in silence through the winding halls of the Silver Goddess’s residence. Ferox could feel Gheralora’s gaze on him, boring into his shoulder everytime she sent a sideways glance at him.

“May I help you with something, Miss Gheralora? I don’t exactly appreciate judgmental glances. You may speak your mind. I prefer when others do.”

“My apologies, War God. It is just odd that something like you has managed to steal our Goddess’s attention in such a way. Despite what you may think and how she may acts towards you, she has developed quite the crush. Being the Goddess of Creation, however, she believes that it is not her place to develop attractions in such a way, so she is attempting to hide it with her own fear about the reason you are here.” Gheralora skips ahead of him, balancing on the balls of her feet as she flits around the hall.

“I highly doubt that is the case, Miss Gheralora.”

“Call me Gigi. It is what Ghira and the girls call me. I rather prefer it over such a long name.” She twirls and dances around, seeming to glide along the floor, as if she is not even touching the ground. “And if you didn’t at least doubt that she truly despised you, why is it, do you think, that she has let you into the Hall? And around her girls, for that matter.”

“I am useful to her, currently. Honestly, that is perfect reason, in my eyes.”

“But not in hers.” The sword spirit stops, the adornments at the back of her head winking with the light pouring from the windows. “She would never endanger her girls. No matter who or what it was. She knows there is more to you than you being a War God. She has seen something in you that has pulled her in. She knows she can trust you. The Goddess can be endlessly naive at times, especially when it comes to that hellion she calls her daughter, but she knows that the child is dangerous as well. She knows the true nature of all living and non-living things. You are destined to be something very wonderful, Ferox.” Gheralora turns, a light shining in her endless eyes.

_“Welcome to the Hall of the Gods, Fierce One.”_

~

  
  
  


_“Ferox. Do you know what_ **_Majora_ ** _means?”_

_“No, I do not, Abhora.”_

_“It means_ **_traitor. One who has forsaken the truth._ ** _They believe me to be one. Or at the very least, that I will become one.”_

_“Why is that? Are you so treacherous, Abhora?”_

_“Maybe I am. Maybe their truth just simply isn’t the same as mine. But I never wish to cause Delilah pain. Despite the fact that I was created from Fayra’s malice, she embraced me. She knew that I had no control over my origins. Though...I believe she simply wanted to believe that I was inevitable, that her daughter’s actions were not the only thing to bring about my breath.”_

_“Death is natural. War is not. I can see why she was so much more comfortable with allowing you into the Hall with her.”_

_“War is just as natural as Death, Ferox. War is not just the bloodshed and violence it can be. War means conflict. Conflict of interests, thoughts, personalities. It is just as natural, and it can be just as beautiful and ugly as Death can be. She was just scared, Ferox. Scared of what your existence could mean for the races of the world.”_

_“I wish I had never come to existence. Maybe then, the people here could continue to know peace.”_

_“Absolute peace will never exist. Not in the living world. There will always be something boiling up inside of someone. We just have to hope that that someone can learn to find their own Balance before they let their Chaos spill out in the world.”_

_“I guess so.”_

_~_

**_You are to be the White Goddess’s companion. You have been forged to aid her, and eventually you will aid another. Guide her and her chosen hero, Fireni. Help her build her Order, so that she may Balance the Chaos now plaguing the world._ **

_~_

_“Fye-reh-nee? How about just Fi instead? That’s a lot easier to say! For me at least…” Hylia stared at the blue being in front of her. A sadness had burrowed itself in her heart at the sight of them, but she tried to keep a smile on her face, one filled with determination._

_“If it is easier for you, Your Grace, then Fi is an adequate name. To my knowledge, the one who is the God of War will be assisting you on your journey to find a being worthy of the honor of being your Chosen Hero and aiding in the war against the Demon King and the Black Goddess.” Fi’s eyes unsettled Hylia, as they seemed to blend in with her skin. An endless blue. She missed the sight of Gheralora and Ghirahim’s eyes, their black hues having become a comfort to her._

_Hylia breathed in, nodding her head. “Yes. We will be going to find a soldier named Link. His heart is one filled with a Balance of the Golden Forces. I think he will be a suitable candidate. But before I can go to him….I have to find something Mother told me about.”_

_“Yes. You must find the three Circ------------------------------------------------_

  
  


**_I’M SORRY. BUT YOUR GAME HAS STOPPED RESPONDING. PLEASE REMOVE THE CARTRIDGE, AND RESTART YOUR CONSOLE._ **

**_PLEASE REMOVE THE CARTRIDGE, AND RESTART YOUR CONSOLE._ ** **_  
_** **_  
_** **_PLEASE REMOVE THE CARTRIDGE, AND RESTART YOUR CONSOLE._ **

  
  


**_~~~~_ **

  
  


**_Welcome to Hyrule Bound, But Never Found!_ **

**_-Load Game_ **

**_-New Game_ **

**_-Delete Save_ **

**_-Settings_ **

**_-Help_ **

**_-Exit Game_ **

  
  
  


**_→ Load Game_ **

**_Enjoy~_ **

  
  
  


_~~~~~_

“So this is the Sheikah Slate? I know Miss Paya had one, but McCormick never got to use it, he was always too reckless and Lucas just isn’t old enough yet, so I haven’t ever actually seen it up close. What does it do?” Aoife stared at the small device in Wild’s hands.

“Well, it can do a lot of things. It can take an image of what’s in the real world and recreate it. No drawing or anything, and it’s a perfect replica! It has a log of items I have as well as clothing and weapons, and it will materialize them whenever I wish. I can also travel to anywhere on the map that is downloaded onto it.”

“Oh, so it’s like, the precursor to the phiras.” Lucasari chimes in, leaning over Wild’s shoulder.

“Phiras?”

“Yeah! A phira is this little metal device the Champions in our Era all have. It’s embedded into their assigned Champion’s sash, and assists with them controlling their Divine Beasts. The idea for it was probably from the Sheikah Slate. Only Knights are allowed an actual Sheikah Slate though, since we don’t have a Divine Beast and have no need for the a smaller device like a phira. Phira pretty much means ‘control’ in old Gerudo, if you use a really loose translation.” Lucas’s eyes light up as he speaks.

Aoife snickers. “You’re such a nerd, Lucas.”

“I can’t help it! These things are so cool, how could you not think they’re cool, Aoife?!”

“I have to admit, these phiras do sound very interesting.” Sil steps up to Lucas’s side. “Are there any other features it has?”

“They can recreate the abilities of previous Champions! But only if the Champion using the phira has been able to prove that they are capable and worthy of using it. My mother is the current Gerudo Champion, and she’s able to use the Champion’s ability from the First and Second Calamities, as well as the Gerudo Champion who was just before herself. She worked very hard for it though, and she’s the only one of the Champions who can use more than two abilities from the phira. Phiras are made directly from the Divine Beast itself, that’s how it’s able to transfer the abilities of previous Champions, by using the energy of their lingering power that’s been absorbed into the Beasts!” As he continues to ramble, Aoife stares down at her crown in her hands. The red jewel on the front of it glinted in the sunlight, almost mockingly. She sneered down at it, shoving it in the bag at her side. She brushes the longer strands of her hair back, tying them together at the back of her head.  
  
 _Find him._ _  
__  
_**_I don’t want to find him._ ** **_  
_** **_  
_** _Yes, you do._ _  
__  
_**_And how would you know?_ ** **_  
_** **_  
_** _I’m your Reflection, Aoife. I know all that you know._ _  
__  
_**_Bullshit._ ** **_  
_** **_  
_** “Aoife?” Saoirse’s voice pulls Aoife from her thoughts. She looks up at the grey-skinned woman, an annoyed glare on her face.  
  
“What do you want?”  
  
“Are you alright?”  
  
“Is it any of your business?” She spits out, snarling. “Oh whoopy fucking doo, you’re my and every other fucking princess’s Dark. That doesn’t mean you get a free pass to get in my shit. Fuck off, man.”  
  
“Aoife!” Sean hisses from his spot near Fissure.

“What?! Am I seriously the only one who doesn’t trust this shit?! We are being pulled to and fro through Eras, we’re really just gonna trust whoever the hell we come across?! I don’t give a DAMN if they’re from just before our Era. I don’t trust any of these motherfuckers and I sure as fuck don’t trust the bitch that’s supposed to be my Dark! Darks only care about killing their Lights, that’s how it’s always been! That’s one of the biggest and most well-known trials of Heroes! They. Kill. Their. Dark. Image!” Aoife shouts, breathing heavily. “And what?! I’m supposed to just trust these two random fucking Darks, and not be suspicious that they could possibly be plotting against all of us Lights?! SERIOUSLY?!?!?”

“ZELDA!” Lucas bellows, causing Aoife to flinch. “What the hell is going on with you!?”

“ME?! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING WITH ALL OF YOU?! WE ARE BEING PULLED INTO A MILLION DIFFERENT FUCKING ERAS AND TIMELINES!! AND YOU HAVEN’T EVEN DARED TO THINK THAT SOMEONE IN THAT FUCKING GROUP COULD BE THE REASON FOR IT?!?! WHAT ABOUT ZOEY, HUH? TY SEEMED PRETTY SHITTY ABOUT HER BEING AROUND, THEY SURE SEEM TO HAVE A FUCKING HISTORY! HOW DO WE KNOW SHE ISN’T APART OF THIS!?!?”

**_“Enough.”_ **Wild’s voice is the next to echo over the area. It’s loud and deep enough to shake both Lucas and Aoife to their bones. Wild’s face is coiled into a snarl, a furious look on his face. “You are the princess of Hyrule, and the prince of the Gerudo. Start fucking acting like it. Whether you think you should trust us or not, that is up to you. But we are your best fucking bet at getting back to the others, and back home to your own Era. So quit fucking around like a child and get your shit in order!” He yells, letting out a low growl.

It’s silent, until Fissure clears his throat, letting out a strained laugh.

“That was hot.”

Wild sighs, facepalming, which earns a raucous laugh from Fissure, one that causes him to nearly fall backwards. Sil and Saoirse snicker, seemingly used to this, Sean soon joining in.

Aoife avoids Lucas’s gaze, a bitter expression growing on her face.

_I don’t want to find him._

  
  
  


_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

  
  


“WHERE THE HELL IS HE?!” Mali’s voice screams, echoing in the Lab. Ghirahim flinched, keeping the table between him and the raging Dark. Vanity growled, grabbing Mali by the arm.

“Calm down! Who usually watches over the prison, huh? There’s no use screaming at the Sword when he isn’t even ever down there. He takes care of the Shadows, not the prisoners. You should be asking our Guards.” Vanity grabs Mali’s jaw, squeezing so that he couldn’t continue to yell. Mali was breathing heavily, red eyes blazing with anger. He jerks his head from Vanity’s grasp, pushing him away.

“Figure out where he fucking went. NOW!” He hisses, stomping off. Vanity sighs, an annoyed growl rumbling beneath it.

“Ghirahim, keep an eye on things up here, as you usually do. Nobody is allowed in the lab other than the twins. You tell me immediately if someone disobeys orders, do you understand?” Vanity sends a sideways glance at the Sword Spirit, who nods nervously, not making eye contact.

~~

Metallic, loud footsteps echo through the stone hall as Vanity makes his way to the deepest parts of the Catacombs. Anger boiled in his body, pairs of brown, green and orange eyes watching as he passed. He passed his fingers over the bars of the cell holding the green eyes, a thin, pale hand reaching out to grab his sleeve. Vanity stops, barely turning his head to look at the imprisoned creature.

“What are you doing, Luculen? You know this isn’t the way to go.” The soft voice felt like acid in Vanity’s ears. He sneered, gripping the hand that held his sleeve tightly, digging his nails into their wrist.

“You have no idea what I know. So keep quiet, _majora._ ”

“You call me a traitor, yet look where your feet are currently taking you.”

Vanity scoffs, yanking the prisoner’s hand off of his arm, and continuing down the hall. The large metal door was silent despite it’s weight as Vanity shoved it open. A pair of tired, pale blue eyes stared at him from a large metal cage in the middle of the room he entered.

“Welcome back, Luculen. Whatever could bring you down here to my lovely abode?” The blonde man in the cage shifted, his sarcastic remark earning an eyeroll from Vanity.

“I have a job for you.”

“And why would I do anything you tell me to?”

“Because, Satus. If you do this, I’ll let you go. You can go to whatever Era you wish, and hide away till you finally drop dead.”

“And _why_ should I believe you?”

“You know I make good on my promises.”

“True enough. But again. Why would I want to do this?” Satus smirked, his fingers finding the edge of frayed crimson scarf wrapped around his neck.

“Do you really want to spent the rest of eternity down in this dingy little cage?”

“Hmmm, I don’t know! I’ve gotten pretty attached, you know. Maybe I should get a little plant in here? Really make it look like home.” He scoffs, tongue moving over his teeth as his stared at Vanity. “What is this job, Luculen? Maybe if it seems worth my endless amount of time, I’ll think about it.”

“I need you to find someone.”

“Who?”

“The heiress to the Silver Goddess.”

Satus laughs. “Which one, you idiot? There have been countless. Though, of course, you probably only know a handful of them.”

“The one that recently landed on a certain ship of a certain Hero of Winds. That heiress.” Vanity leans on the bars, wrapping his arms through. “Find her, bring her here. And then you can leave forever.”

“And condemn an innocent girl to your hand? Like fucking hell.” Satus spit on the ground in front of him, flipping Vanity off.

“Either that or she dies. She’s not supposed to be in this world. And if she stays here, her body will eventually go completely off Balance, and she, and thousands upon thousands of people will die across Eras. So either you get her here, or have thousands of deaths on your hands. _Think about it, Hylia’s Chosen Hero.”_ Vanity smacks the bars, before turning on his heel and leaving the room as quickly as he came in.

Satus growls, taking a rock from the floor of the cage and throwing it at the metal door through the bars. It smacks the door with an echoing thud. He hits his head against the bar behind him, closing his eyes.

“I really fucking hate him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hyrule-Bound is still on hiatus. But I managed to finish the last leg of Chapter 15, which has been in the works since before the hiatus was announced.
> 
> But yeah.
> 
> HERE WE ARE CHAPTER 15!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THIS TOOK SO LONG!!!!
> 
> I hope y’all enjoyed it though, it’s a bit shorter than previous chapters.
> 
> So. Yeah!
> 
> Stay crazy, my Lovely Proxies~!!!
> 
> Creator Twitchy out~


	19. The Reflection - Hero & Carrion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reflections of the Prince of the Dark World and the Hero of the Sky.

_ What does it mean to be Shattered? _

_ Do I disappear? _

_ Does my body break into a million little pieces, and the dust of my soul get scattered….in the wind? _

_ No. _

_ It means I get to sit. _

_ I get to sit and watch as my Ward rips himself apart. _

_ As he cries and screams and I can’t do anything but  _ **_watch._ ** _ He doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do. I’m supposed to guide him. _

_ But he rejected me. _

_ He Shattered me. _

_ So here I sit. _

_ Waiting till the day he dies. _

_ My body hurts. _

_ It pulses with the same pain he feels everyday. _

_ The pain of the lashes on his back. _

_ Of the strings of his heart being pulled by a vain little Pitch. _

_ He would call me Hero. _

_ Nothing but poison on his lips as he said it. _

_ He hated me. _

_ Because I looked like the boy who would have everything he could never have. _

_ The boy even his own sister would leave him for. _

_ I’m sorry, Maligna. _

_ I love you, you know. _

_ You’re my Ward. _

_ You’re my everything. _

_ All I have. _

_ All I would ever have. _

_ And I still couldn’t protect you. _

_ Not from your mother. _

_ Not even from yourself. _

**_I’m sorry._ **

  
  
  


**“You know. Feeling sorry won’t help him.”** The skychild’s Reflection visits me everyday. I believe his Ward calls him “Carrion.”  **“Neither will crying like a little bitch all the time.”**

He’s a nice fellow.

_ “What exactly will I….be able to do...Carrion?”  _ It hurts to speak. My body doesn’t like it.

**“You and I can go find him.”** Carrion’s black eyes and mouth always made me feel weird. Looking into them felt like looking into a void. One that consumed you in every way. Wrapping around your neck and constricting, yet you could always still breathe.

But you felt like you were suffocating.

Is this what the Lights feel like when they look at their Reflections?

I wouldn’t know.

_ “How exactly….would we find him? I’m….Shattered. I can’t….get to him.” _

**“Wherever the skychild is, Maligna will soon follow. Find him. Find Mali. Come on, Hero.”** His hands are warm. Lights are warm, aren’t they? I’m not warm. I can feel his hand under my head. His arms hook under my knees and shoulders as he lifts me up.

**“You’re lighter than you should be.”**

_ “Was that a pun?” _

**“Little bit.”**

He’s a nice fellow.

I don’t mind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sound of shattering glass rang through the dining hall. Sky’s shout and a thud followed it, Tetra halfway holding him up, having barely caught him before he fell. Zoey quickly placed herself between them and the two new arrivals who had just landed in the middle of the floor, glass encompassing them. The windows in the ceiling above were all completely shattered, a shiny white glowing substance dripping off the shards still stuck to the metal that had held them up.

Carrion’s hair stuck out in every direction, clawed hands scratching at the stone floor as he pushed himself up. His void-like eyes seem to pulse as he looked around the room, the lack of discernible pupils or irises making the action seem even more unnatural.

**“Hello, skychild. Long time no see.”** Carrion smiled, no teeth to be found in a pitch black mouth.  **“Could use a little help here. Hero’s a bit….sick.”**

  
  
  
  


_ I’m cold. _

  
  


**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_ **

**_Character Unlock:_ **

**_-Reflection of the Prince of the Dark World: Hero_ **

**_Known Powers:_ **

**_-N/A_ **

**_Known Eras:_ **

**_-Era of the Imprisoned_ **

**_-Era of the Sky_ **

**_-Era of the Merge_ **

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_ **

**_Character Unlock:_ **

**_-Reflection of the Hero of the Sky: Carrion_ **

**_Known Powers:_ **

**_-Portal Jump_ **

**_-Timeline Jump_ **

**_-Screech_ **

**_-Silver Tongue_ **

**_-Weapon Morph_ **

**_Known Eras:_ **

**_-Era of the Sky_ **

**_-Force Era_ **

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_ **

**_Welcome to the Reflection._ **

**_Which Mirror would you like to meet next?_ **

**_-Hero of the Wild_ **

**_-Hero of Time_ **

**_-Hero of the Merge_ **

**_-Hero of the Decline_ **

**~~~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pick a Reflection from the last lines and comment which one you'd like to see next!!! My server had picked the Hero of the Sky, so his and his Dark's Reflections are the ones introduced here!
> 
> Carrion is Sky's Reflection, Hero is Mali's Reflection.
> 
> Depending on who is chosen, you'll see their Reflection as well as their Dark/Light counterparts' Reflection!
> 
> Chapter 16 (if you're on tumblr)/Chapter 20 (if you're on AO3) will be out hopefully this weekend or next. I'm on spring break now, so we'll see if I can finally get that chapter done XD
> 
> So!!
> 
> Stay crazy, my Lovely Proxies~!!!
> 
> Creator Twitchy out~


	20. In the Mirrors

“Penny for your thoughts?” Ty’s voice whispers in the silence of Gloam’s room as he stands in the doorway. In his hand is a green Rupee, an almost-amused smile on his face, as he looks at Gloam expectantly. Gloam stared back from his place on the bed, his arms crossed over his chest. He makes a small scoff, his chest barely moving with the sound, shaking his head.

“Theeeennnn….” Ty digs in his pocket, holding up a silver Rupee. “Dollar for your sadness?”

“Keep your money,  _ Tyrant.  _ Close the door behind you. I don’t want the Skull Brats coming in here.” Ty snorts at Gloam’s words, placing his Rupees back in his pocket, and closing the door behind him as he sits on top of the small table in the middle of the room.

Gloam stares at the ceiling, the black marks on his face slowly rippling. Ty felt nauseous looking at them, but the movement was oddly soothing at the same time. Gloam’s shaky breath brings him out of his trance, causing Ty to furrow his brows.

“You know…” Gloam’s voice cracks as he speaks. “This could have been my home. I could have lived here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“This is my Era, Ty. This is where I was supposed to be from. But I….I didn’t get to have that.” Tears streamed down Gloam’s face as he spoke. “All because of stupid Ganon, and stupid Lucan, and stupid Delilah. All of it. It’s so stupid.”

“The hell are you  _ talking _ about, Gloam?”

“Nothing. Just forget it.” Gloam sniffs, breathing out as he rubs his face, trying to dry it. “I just don’t like being here. I have to get back to my Era. We need to find the others, and I need to get home. I want to be done with all of this.” He leans over the edge of the bed, bracing his head in his hands.

“If I’m bein’ honest, this is most interesting thing that’s happened to me in years. It’s better than sitting alone and depressed, drowning myself in alcohol and my own thoughts. But I get the feeling. Knowing you have something to get back to. I don’t really have that anymore, but I did. And it was all I thought about. Needing to get back to that thing.”

“Hm, like Zoey?” Gloam scoffs, but guilt immediately covers the expression as he realizes what he said. “Sorry, that wasn’t….That wasn’t okay to say…”

“Oh no, it’s fine. You’re right. She was everything to me. I would wake up in the morning to that woman. She was the only thing that made sense in my life while everything else was falling apart around me. But then she broke me apart too. I don’t have much anymore, you weird ass motherfuckers are all I got right now. But you need to get home. So we have to try and find the others and figure out who or what the hell has been ripping us out of our homes.”

“It’s a Dark.” A new voice chimes from the corner of the room. Long spindly arms tipped with razor sharp fingers peeled out from under the wallpaper of the room. A head of messy, pale brown hair popped out after them, pitch-black eyes blinking at the duo. The newcomer smiles, his too-wide mouth the same pitch-black color, no teeth to be seen. “Hi, Gloam.”

“ **_Wolf. What are you doing here?”_ ** Gloam hisses, standing up. His eyes shift from Wolf and Ty frantically, but Ty doesn’t seem affected.

“A Reflection that can leave its Mirror? That’s unexpected. You’re really full of surprises, aren’t you, Gloam?” Ty chuckles, pulling his legs up onto the table as he stares, amused, at the gangly boy that had just pulled himself out of the wall. Wolf stumbles a bit as he pulls his leg out, shaking his body all over, like a dog. His eyes finally land on Ty, and the smile leaves his face, a shocked expression overtaking it.

“You….” Wolf points at him, confused. “I know you…..”

“You probably do. Don’t all Reflections know each other? You’ve probably seen mine before.” Ty remains unaffected, shrugging. Wolf slowly nods.

“Yeah...I think so….We usually can see through each others’ Mirrors.”

“What are you doing here, Wolf?”

“I’m here to tell ya where Sean and the royals are. They’re in the Era of the Wilds, with the Champion.” Wolf shakes his head, ruffling his hands through his hair, hopping onto the bed and spinning around for a few seconds, before faceplanting into the pillow. “They’re alright, but that Dark Princess is with em, so I’m not sure how that’s gonna go. Her Reflection was always a bit weird so I don’t know if it’s safe or not for her to be with them.”

“But they’re all okay, right?” Gloam squats by the side of the bed, a worried expression on his face. Wolf turned to him, moving a clawed hand to play with a lock of Gloam’s hair.

“Yeah, they’re fine. I think the Lorulean is on her way to meet up with them and get them here. The others are in the Era of the Great Sea, and they’re all okay too. We’re kinda just biding time till they can get here.”

“Why is everyone meeting here though?” Ty asks. “What’s so special about this Era?”

“Because this is the Era where everything started.”

“Everything?”

“Where the Golden Goddesses and Goddesses of Balance were reborn at the same time. Where Fayra’s seal broke. This is the Era where everything is supposed to die. But it didn’t. Least not completely.” Wolf pulls his hand back from Gloam’s face, hooking his finger onto the shackle around the man’s neck. “I still find it weird that so much managed to survive in these timelines.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excited, loud knocking sounded at the door to Gloam’s room, quick footsteps running towards Ty’s room, the same knocking now banging at his door. Gloam gets up and opens the door, staring out into the hallway, and is nearly knocked over by an extremely excited Ray.

“COME MEET MY WIFE!!!” He shouts, grabbing onto Gloam’s arm, Ty’s arm also being held captive as he pulls the duo down the stairs and out of the inn.

Ray was wearing a much different outfit than he had when Ty and Gloam had met him. He was now wearing a grey tunic with a black undershirt, with simple black pants, his feet bare. His hair was pulled back in a short ponytail, his bangs pulled over and back into it. Around his neck was his wedding tie, white with black embroidery, which was usually tied around his belt. His icy blue were lit up in excitement as he bounced his way into the lobby of the inn, pulling the two men towards a woman they had not seen before.

The woman turned, reddish-brown hair pulled into a high ponytail that still managed to reach below her waist. Around her neck was a wedding tie identical to Ray’s, the only difference being the inversion of the colors. She wore a thin grey blouse, her stomach bare, with two golden chains hanging from the sides, connected to the edges of a belt that was holding her long black skirt up. On her forehead rested a large red jewel, held in place by multiple chains and a golden metal band over the top of her head, with one chain running back to latch onto a large blue gem set in her ponytail. Her chocolate brown eyes were as bright with excitement as Ray’s, and she smiled at Gloam and Ty.

“Hello there! I’m Zorana, you can call me Zo.” Ray lets go of the two men and sprints to grab Zorana into a hug, lifting her up.

Gloam was quiet as he watched the couple. Zorana trudged her way over to the two when her feet returned to the ground, Ray dragging along behind her, his arms still wrapped around her waist. She extends a hand to Ty, who takes it, bowing. She offers Gloam a warm smile as she reaches her hand to him. Gloam takes her hand gently, bowing as well, and presses the back of her hand to his forehead.

“Oh….you’re Gerudo aren’t you?” Zorana looks at him, surprised, batting at Ray’s arms so that he finally lets go. “A male...We don’t get a lot who live past 4 years.” Gloam’s mouth is dry as he nods.

“I got lucky, I guess.” His voice is rough when he speaks. He clears his throat, letting go of her hand and standing up straight again.

“What are your names?” Her voice felt so familiar to Gloam. It hurt.

“Gloam. That’s Ty.” Gloam gestured to Tyrant, who simply raised a hand.

“Gloam, eh? That’s an...odd name. But it’s very nice!”

Gloam simply stared at her, and the feeling became too much. A choked sob broke through his mouth, Zorana’s sweet smile turning to one of concern. Gloam fell to the ground, tears streaming down his face.

“I’m sorry, Miss Zorana.” His voice cracks as he tries to speak. “You just...look like someone I knew.”

Zorana kneeled by him, placing her hands on his shoulders. “Who, dear?” Her eyes held a knowing look. Ray stood behind her, a shocked expression on his face. His own eyes held the same look.

_ Brown and blue. _

“Someone….Someone I lost a very long time ago.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tyrant locked the door behind him. During Gloam’s meltdown, he managed to slip away largely unnoticed. He sat on the edge of his bed, his leg shaking as he stared at the floorboards with a blank expression. Cold breath fanned over his ear as Wolf’s voice whispered to him.

“Are you alright, little tyrant?” That voice held a feral growl beneath it.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Why not? That’s what we’ve always called you.”

“I don’t care, Wolf. Don’t fucking call me that.”

A freezing cold hand shot out to grip Tyrant’s neck as he is thrown backwards on the bed, Wolf’s legs pinning him down. His pitch-black eyes were all Ty could see, framed by messy, pale brown locks of hair.

“Why are you here, tyrant? What is your purpose in continuing to play this little charade? You’re a  _ majora,  _ and you think you are going to get away with this idiotic act?” Wolf’s voice was low and cold, but Ty simply stared up at him.

“I don’t know you. I suggest you get the fuck off of me before I throw you out that fucking window.”

“I had heard you had lost your memories of what you are, but I don’t believe it. You know what you are,  _ tyrant.  _ **_And that is not the Hero of the Decline.”_ **

Ty grit his teeth, grabbing Wolf by the shoulders and shoving him backwards, launching both of them off of the bed. Wolf’s head made a hollow noise when it hit the floorboards, the Reflection grunting as Ty’s knee dug into his chest, Wolf’s long arms being bent in painful ways, crossing over each other as Ty tugged them in opposite directions to keep him from moving.

“I was never a fucking Hero. Ever. But I’m also not whatever the hell you are trying to say I am. I don’t know you. I’ve never known you. I knew my Reflection, so consequently I knew what you were. I know what Reflections look like. But I don’t  **fucking know you.** And you don’t **fucking know me.** So leave me the hell alone.” For a short moment, Ty’s eyes changed. One becoming pitch black like Wolf’s, the other a pure white. He blinked, his eyes returning to their usual deep blue color, and a pained look passed over his face. He swayed, tumbling to the side off of Wolf, who jumped up, staying in crouch near him.

Ty pressed his hand against his forehead, his breathing getting heavier. “Fuck, I feel like I’m going to throw up….” He whispered, his hands clutching the side table and edge of the other bed.

Wolf stared at Ty as he curled up by the bed, angry black marks creeping farther up his collar. “You really don’t remember what you are, do you?” Ty’s eyes fell back on Wolf.

“I don’t care what I am. I just want to stop hurting. So please. Just leave me alone. Let me be with people who give a shit so I don’t have to die alone.”

Wolf sighs, sitting down with his legs folded in front of him.

**_“Okay.”_ **

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**(WARNING: MENTIONS OF SEXUAL ABUSE, EMOTIONAL/MENTAL ABUSE, TRAUMA, AND CHRONIC ILLNESS)**

The low humming felt like a buzzing that shook Tear’s very bones. Her black hair still clouded his vision, the smell of her perfume mixing with a scent of blood and sin. He could still hear the giggle of her voice and feel her breath blowing over his ears. She had been so warm yet so cold at the same time.

His eyes were fixated on the small spider creating a web in the corner of the wall he was facing. The pillow under his head felt like a rock to him, the bed felt like the stone his back had pressed against such a short time ago.

_ I feel dirty. _

Her nails had left angry bloody scratches all over his back, hips and thighs. Bruises littered his neck and arms, bitemarks clear on his stomach. Ravio was livid when he saw them, nearly breaking his hand on a wall in his anger; Rana didn’t say anything as she cleaned them and covered him in bandages.

Tear turned onto his other side, staring into the floor-length mirror leaned against the opposite wall. He looked at his reflection, his eyes locking onto the bandages on his stomach that peeked out from under his shirt. Slowly, he sat up, eyes never leaving the mirror, and stood, walking closer to it.

He gripped the hem of his shirt, gently tugging it off. The bandages around his neck had been taken off earlier by Rana, the bruises beneath them taking on a yellow color. Slowly, he unwrapped the bandages around his chest and stomach. He stared at the marks that had just barely begun to scab up, running his fingers over them.

“Gross,” he rasped, his throat dry.

**“Very. She never was good about being gentle with others.”** A smooth voice chuckled from behind Tear. He stared at the shadowy demon standing behind him through the mirror, their face covered by a bird-like mask.

“What do you want, Vanity?”

**“Just saying hi, little Tear. Though I guess you aren’t so** **_little,_ ** **according to Annie.”** A razor-sharp smirk glints in the reflection, ice-cold hands reaching to press against Tear’s neck.

“You’re disgusting.”

**“So I’ve been told.”** Vanity propped his chin on top of Tear’s head, raking his nails against his bare shoulders.  **“You know...there’s a way to get back at her for it. You don’t have to sit with that dirty little feeling.”**

“She only did it because you taught her that was okay.”

**“Oh I am not the guilty one here. She knows what she does isn’t right.”**

“As do you.”

**“Mmmm….yes I do. But I just don’t care. You know what’s going to happen, Tear. She’s loved too much. She’s being Brightened. And once Mali finds out, he’s going to kill her. If you really feel so bad for her, then do something about it.”** Vanity’s left hand tucks a strand of Tear’s hair behind his ear.

“You aren’t going to win, Vanity.”

Vanity chuckles, taking off the mask. He leans by Tear’s ear, growling into it.

**_“We already have, Lurin.”_ **

_ Tear’s vision went black, the feeling of steel nails raking against his body returning. He felt like something was trying to crawl out of his mouth from the inside. Images flashed in front of his eyes, an old song playing over and over in his head. The sound of waves crashing echoed, the smell of salt. A seagull cried out, the sound of something sniffing at his head, whiskers tickling his ear. _

_ His eyes opened. A rabbit. _

_ It was pink, with sapphire blue eyes. It sniffed at his face, blowing air at him through its nose. The seagull cried out again. Its white wings were tipped with red, a blue piece of string tied around its neck flapping in the wind as it flew. It flew closer, beady, emerald green eyes twinkling at him. The song was still playing, but a voice now accompanied it. It felt so painfully familiar, but Tear couldn’t place where he’d heard the voice. It felt like a fleeting memory. _

_ A memory of red hair. A sweet smile with dimples like his. The glimmer of a gold locket catching the sunlight. Waves. _

_ An owl? _

_ Sapphire eyes. A green shirt with a popped collar. Countless rings on just two hands. A jeweled staff that seemed to always be radiating a comfortable heat. _

_ “Lurin.” A voice whispered to him. A man’s voice. One he knew. _

**_Lurin._ **

**_Lurin?_ **

**_Lurin._ **

_ Voices began to overlap. _

_ He could see her smile. Purple hair, red eyes. Hilda. _

_ He could hear his laugh. The feeling of his hands wrapping the scarf around his neck. Ravio. _

_ Her heavy breathing, tears falling onto his cheeks as she apologized to him over and over. Rana. _

_ Gulley’s happy smile as he ran in front of him, pulling on his sleeve to make him walk faster. _

_ Irene’s annoyed huff. _

_ Seres’ giggle as the Captain tripped on the steps in the Sanctuary. _

_ A woman with blue hair, surrounded by animals. Who are you? _

_ A little girl with green hair, chattering away. _

**_I don’t know you._ **

_ The wooden masks with nothing but carved O’s creating faces. Blue hair. Red hair. Green hair. Three with his face. _

_ The little girl stuck in a brown outfit. _

_ A weird old lady sticking the tip of her umbrella in his face. _

**_Lurin._ **

**_That’s my name._ **

**_Lurin!_ **

**_What?_ **

**_Lurin…_ **

**_What?!_ **

  
  
  


**_Wake up, Lurin._ **

  
  
  
  
  


**_A loud bang shook him to his core. It felt like something had blasted through his entire body, shooting outwards from his chest. All he could hear was his own scream and the sound of a door crashing open. He could hear the rattle of Warrior’s armor, the smell of burning wood that always seemed to follow that new girl. Hands hooked under Tear’s head and knees, raising him into the air._ **

  
  


**_His body felt like it was being ripped apart._ **

  
  


_I feel dirty.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
_~~~~~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOOOOO CHAPTER 16 IS DOOONNNNEEEEEE!!!! (chapter 20 here on ao3) FINALLY! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
> 
> According to my revision history on Docs, I started this chapter on February 24th. It’s the feckin 14th of March. Good lord.
> 
> My friends are gonna hate me cuz I keep hurting Tear : D
> 
> uwoops
> 
> Zorana didn’t talk a lot, but y’all finally got to meet her! She’ll definitely be interacting a lot more in the next chapter she shows up in, I just had no inspiration for dialogue for her .3.
> 
> Also, I guess Gloam is just having meltdowns now that he’s in the Era of the Hero of Time. He does NOT like being there XD
> 
> And yes, those are references to Triforce Heroes at the end there. I saw that game at Game Stop yesterday, but i had no money with me .<.
> 
> Reminder that “majora” means traitor. Wolf was calling Ty a traitor.
> 
> Also, please leave comments or kudos!! I really appreciate feedback, and the lack of it has been killing my motivation to continue with this series honestly. So I'd super appreciate even like, a keysmash or something XD I don't really mind. It's always nice to see the notification.
> 
> Anyways…
> 
> Stay crazy, my Lovely Proxies~!!!
> 
> Creator Twitchy out~


	21. If You're Happy and You Know It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The game continues.

**Five.**

**Four.**

**Three.**

**Two.**

**One.**

  
  
  
  


**Welcome. You are playing a game known as:**

##  **Hyrule-Bound, But Never Found.**

**Please choose a save file.**

**-Link**

**-** **________**

**-Empty**

**-Empty**

**→ Link**

**Do you wish to open this save file?**

**→ Yes**

**Confirmed.**

**Enjoy the game.**

  
  
  
  


The Dark World had its moments.

When the dimmed light of a false sun managed to wash over the land, bathing it in a dark honeyed glow. When the few uncorrupted animals would sprint by, largely ignored by the atramentous demons that crawled along the ground with drooling mouths and spidery limbs. These were moments that helped Link forget that this world held the oldest evils ever known to the living worlds.

A rabbit sniffed at the hand of the previously-imprisoned hero. He pressed a single finger against its cheek, scratching behind its ears. He kept his gaze on the rabbit, unfazed by the odd man sitting across from him on the ground.

The odd one simply smiled quietly at the hero, his pointer finger tapping slowly against his cheek, red irises barely visible beneath his nearly-shut eyes. How he was able to see like that was beyond the hero, but at this point...

He didn’t really care to know anything about this man.

“What are you going to call yourself, Hero? You know you are going to be meeting quite a number of young fellows who also bear your name. Are you simply going to make them call you by your birth name? Or will you take up a new mantle?” The odd man had called himself the Happy Mask Salesman, and strapped to his waist was an extremely colorful, and spiky, mask. The eyes had captivated the hero when he had first seen it, but the scent of an old evil wafted from it, causing him to be even more suspicious of this mask salesman.

“Bound.” The hero finally spoke, the rabbit slowly making its way over to the salesman, poking its nose at his shoe curiously.

“Ah yes. For one who was once bound to the darkness of the Fayrin Catacombs, and is now bound to the darkness of his own mind. How fitting. I know ‘Happy Mask Salesman’ is a bit of a mouthful, so just call me ‘Happy’. Or something to that effect.” Happy’s eyes shift to the rabbit, one hand slipping to his belt, grabbing onto the hilt of his knife. Before Bound can even notice what is in his hand, the serrated blade descends on the rabbit’s neck, a sickening crunch causing bile to rise in Bound’s throat.

“Was that really necessary?” Bound snarls, watching the poor creature twitch with the last of its life. Happy hums, pulling the knife out easily.

“Yes. Because now you have dinner. Were you planning on starving? This is not a place that has any civilization, at least not any that would be willing to give shelter to a Light Worlder.”

“Rabbits have a rather….special meaning to me. I prefer not to eat them.”

“Well, you’ll just have to get over it until you have more options. Rabbits are the only thing here that are viable food sources for non-Dark Worlders that require food to survive.” Happy sat up in a crouch, grabbing the rabbit by its broken neck. The wet snapping and crunching of tendons and bones made Bound even more nauseous. He looked away while Happy took a thin, long metal rod out from somewhere in the purple coat he was wearing, and jammed it into the rabbit’s chest, threading it to come out of its back. He jammed the rod in the ground and began to make quick work of the rabbit’s skin with his knife. “Speaking of rabbits...the world I am dropping you off in holds a man known as Pierce. He was one of your heroic predecessors. He recently lost his wife and child, however, so please be courteous.”

“Am I not courteous, _Happy?”_ Bound sneers, still barely able to make eye contact with the man, the sound of metal sawing through flesh just too much.

“Oh, you are very courteous, _Bound._ But let’s just say….Your usual _charm_ will likely not go over well with a man who just lost everything he ever loved. I would think you’d know the feeling. Your little Shadow will help you. Pierce knows him well, already, but watch out for _his_ Shadow. Arcan is not a pleasant fellow, and he is viciously overprotective. More so than even our more notorious Pitches.”

“The hell is a Pitch?”

“A Pitch is a Dark that has never been Brightened, or exposed to Light. And I don’t mean, exposed to the Light World. A Pitch is a Dark who has never loved anything, or simply hasn’t loved enough to start losing their color. Darks are born as completely pitch black beings, nothing but their eyes being a different color. In this day and age, Pitches are rare. Darks have been falling in love. Like yours.” Happy smirks, raising an eyebrow at Bound, whose face blooms a cherry red. Bound presses his hand over his mouth and cheek, looking away again.

“So what does this Brightening thing entail?” Bound shivers with the cold wind that blows over the field the two sat in, the flame in front of him bending to the side with it.

“A Dark will slowly start losing their color. Their skin will become grey, lightening, and their hair will turn purple. Their eyes will change as well. The sclera will become completely black, the irises turning a variety of colors. Sometimes they will have discernible pupils, other times they will not. The more a Dark loves someone, or something, the Lighter they will become. They will become completely Brightened, if they kiss or are kissed by the being they love most. Their hair will turn white, and their eyes will take on the color or colors of those they love.”

“Wait, what are sclera?”

“What we call the whites of our eyes.”

“Oh.”

Happy hums, taking the rod out of the ground, and jamming it back in, right next to the fire. “You’ve been here many years, Bound. The Triforce’s power has been dimmed. That is the only reason why you aren’t mobbed by Shadow Creatures while sitting out in the open like this. When you return to the Light World, that will change. Its power will return, albeit slowly. But when it does, you will become a target. Though...staying in the Dark World for so long will also have its benefits to you. Your body isn’t as susceptible to the effects of dark magic like most Light Worlders. You might even be able to wield it yourself. Would be a good skill to obtain while you are waiting for your Forcible power to come back.”

Bound stared at the rabbit, a low sizzle coming from it as Happy turned it over. “Wouldn’t trying to wield dark magic make me unfit to hold the Triforce?”

“Eat, Link.” Happy pulls the rod out of the ground and points it towards Bound. Bound grimaces, but pulls off one of the legs. “I think even the Golden Ones know your circumstances. You are the most fit to wield the Triforce currently. You have been in the Dark World for a long time, but I know you will regain the ability to use the Triforce’s power. They won’t take it from you during this time. You are going to need it more than ever.”

Bound stared at the fire for a moment, before shifting his eyes back onto Happy, who was sitting with his head propped in both of his hands, that eerie smile still present. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Guardians of Time don’t really require food. At least not near as much. I ate three days ago...ironic number...I should be fine for another day.” He taps his fingers on his cheeks rhythmically, that smile never wavering.

“You’re creepy as fuck, I hope you know that.”

“Why, thank you.”

Bound scoffs, shaking his hand.

“Whenever you wish to leave, just let me know. I am ready at any time.”

Bound nodded, returning his focus to the rabbit leg. It still sickened him to even have the creature’s limb in his hands, but the salesman was right. There were not many edible game animals in the Dark World, and he hadn’t eaten in a while. Despite the prospect of leaving soon, there was no guarantee he’d be able to get food quickly in the Era he was being dropped in. Or if the salesman was even dropping him where he claimed he was.

_Why am I even trusting him?_

**_He’s your best shot, Link. And take it from me. He’s a man of his word. If he says he’ll take you somewhere, he will. You just have to be prepared for whatever could be there._ **

_I guess you’re right…_

**_I always am._ **

_I wouldn’t say_ **_always…._ **

**_Oh, shut up._ **

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you ready, _Bound?”_ Happy extends a hand to Bound, raising an eyebrow. Bound sighs, holding onto his wrist. Happy chuckles, wrapping his own hand around Bound’s wrist and using it to yank him closer, falling backwards.

A bright blue ring of light forms on the ground, and as Happy’s free arm wraps around Bound’s back to hold him in place, images flood Bound’s eyes, passing by at an insane speed as they fall through the portal.

_He could see himself. Laying on the ground in his bathroom, shattered glass surrounding him._

_A child sitting on top of a train, happily kicking his feet back and forth._

_A tiny girl with white hair skipping around a young man with rainbow-colored eyes. The light cast a shine on the black rose charm hanging from her neck._

_A large wolf with a massive shackle around his neck, markings glowing an almost painfully bright blue._

_Fire. Fire surrounding a massive man with black and red scales covering the spaulders on his shoulders. Two massive horns stuck out from the back of his armor, surrounding him in a circle._

**_A little girl with brown hair and brown eyes, holding a glass orb in her hands. She sat in front of a mirror, a girl with long blue hair chattering away inside of it. Suddenly, a mass of black shadows shot out from the mirror, inky hands grabbing the girl by her throat and pinning her to the ground. A purple, bird-like mask covered the face of the creature that emerged from the mirror, the beak of the mask almost touching the girl’s nose. The orb rolling on the ground, unbroken. Though the scream that let out of the girl’s mouth sounded anything but._ **

Bound screamed. When his feet finally felt ground again, he collapsed, Happy’s arms being the only things to keep him from curling in on himself.

“Who was that?! The little girl with the orb! Who was she?!?” Bound gripped the purple cloak Happy wore, eyes frantic and wide. Happy simply stared at him, that ever-present smile finally gone. His red eyes were much more visible now, and Bound realized how large Happy’s pupils were.

It was unnatural. Like he could see the void in them. _He did not like those eyes._

“That is someone you will meet later. You will learn who that girl was. But please, do not worry yourself with that now.”

“Why….why do I feel like I know her? I’ve never seen her before, why….”

“She is someone very strongly connected to you. Please...don’t worry about it right now. I’m sorry, I should have covered your eyes. You didn’t need to see all of that. I am sorry, Link.” Happy hesitantly placed his hand on Bound’s back, having let go of his wrist. Bound stared at the ground, trying to comprehend the images he had seen. “Those were other Eras. It’s common to see a lot of those when passing through Gates. I should have warned you.”

“It’s...fine. I’m okay.” Bound tries to stand, but the shake in his legs caused Happy to have to hold him up until he regained his balance. “I just want to get this over with.”

“Understandable. I guess this is where we shall part ways, for now, old hero.” Happy steps back, his smile returning, and bows, the movement quicker than Bound could process, waving his hand with a flourish. “Good luck.” He jolts up again, barely seeming to move before ending up in a new position. He turns on his heel, walking off. Bound rubs his face, and by the time he returns his gaze to the direction Happy was walking towards, the odd man was gone.

Bound whipped his head around, wondering where he had gone, then scoffed. “That dude is so fucking weird.” A cold hand slithered up the loose tunic Bound wore, a head of white hair settling under his chin.

“Guardians are always a bit weird, Link. You learn to get used to it.” A low, smooth snickered at him, another icy hand meeting the first on Bound’s back beneath his shirt.

“Do you _seriously_ need to shove your hands up my shirt all the time, Lepus?”

“Yep~ You’re warm.”

“Yeah, and you’re _not. Your hands are fucking_ **_freezing!!”_ ** Bound tries to peel Lepus’s arms off of him, but the shorter man just giggled, holding on tighter. “Oh my goddesses, come on. We need to get moving, I don’t need you _groping_ me the whole time.”

“Welp, that’s just too bad!” Lepus rises on his toes to press a quick kiss to Bound’s lips, before turning on his heel and bouncing ahead of him. “We gotta get goiinngg~ Don’t lag behind so much, Link.”

Bound snorts, shaking his head as he follows after the excitable Dark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy’s face lacked any expression as he watched the small girl play with a bird she had managed to coax into her hand. Her red hair caught the afternoon sun’s light, an almost purple tinge gracing the tips of it. “Are you ready to go, little one?”

“Can I play with the little birdie just a bit longer?” She stared up at him with blank, glowing red eyes. She pouted, her finger lingering on the bird’s head.

Happy sighed. “Fine. But we have to leave soon, Luci.”

“Okaayy….”

  
  
  
  


**_Would you like to save your game?_ **

**_-Yes_ **

**_-No_ **


	22. The Reflection - Tyrant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody likes a tyrant~

“Good morning, Your Highness. My name is Zoey. I’m from the neighboring kingdom of Timori.” A woman with dark purple hair stared at the young Queen with brown eyes that glittered almost red in the light that streamed through the windows of the castle. “I have come here to offer assistance to Hyrule on my kingdom’s behalf.”

Link stared at this strange woman from his seat next to Zelda. The clothing he wore was uncomfortable, high-collared and stiff. He shifted in his seat slightly, casting a sideways glance to the Queen. Zelda sat perfectly straight, her arms placed on the rests of the throne. She tilted her head slightly.

“Timori once attempted to invade us. Though, of course, it was a very long time ago, what reason do we have to think that has changed?” She raises an eyebrow at Zoey, who simply chuckles.

“Your Highness. The current ruler is but only 17 years of age. She knows well of the history of Timori and Hyrule, but she cares not for it. She wishes to remedy that, and I do as my Queen asks of me. I give you my word, we only mean to help.”

“You know, Ami, I could always marry her and create an alliance, so that way they can’t invade us!” The younger Zelda snickers, earning a harsh glare from the Queen, while earning a snort from both Link and Zoey. “What?! It could work!!”

“She is right, Your Highness. That would be a suitable way to improve relations with the countries. The Queen is almost of age to be married, and I’m sure she would not mind meeting the princess.” Zoey smirks a bit, winking at the younger Zelda.

Link struggles to keep his laughter back from his spot, earning his own glare from the Queen, and promptly quiets back down. He shares a glance with Zoey, who sends a smile his way, before returning her attention to the elder Zelda.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Link slowly knocks his head against the wall of the empty hallway. He presses his cheek to the cold stone, rubbing his face with his hands. “‘Oh, wear this corset’, she says, ‘you’ll look so good in it.’ Yeah well thanks, Ami, I couldn’t fucking breathe in this bitch the entire time!” Link mutters to himself, yanking his tunic up, and twisting his arms back to grab onto the tied knot at the top of the corset. He pulls at it fitfully, roughly unlacing the hell-garment, and throws it to the floor. He pops the buttons on the front of his tunic, pulling the stiff collar away from his neck.

“Yes, because these clothes would be so practical if that Timorine came in here and tried to kill us all! Yes, put your fucking ‘hero’ in tight ass clothes that he can’t even breathe in just cause they make his ass look nice!” Link kicks the corset across the hallway, flipping two middle fingers at it.

A low chuckle sounds behind him. “Hero of Hyrule, Link, correct?” Link whips around at the sound, coming face to face with chocolate-brown eyes. Link’s back reflexively goes straight, his hands folding together in front of him. He steps back, uncomfortable with how closely the Timorine soldier stood by him, and cleared his throat. She bows, keeping her eyes on him. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Ah, yes, of course. Same to you.” Link bows back, holding her stare.

“I see the Queen had you in some...rather uncomfortable regalia.” She walks over to pick up the discarded corset. “Though I will say, it does fit you well.” She smiles, winking at him. Link's face goes red, as he clears his throat again.

“Thank you, Lady Zoey.” He turns his head to the side, resituating the large metal headpiece that he still wore. Cold leather ghosted over his ear, gripping onto the metal, and pulling it off. He instinctively goes to grab Zoey’s wrist, and is met with a knowing smile.

“Quite the crown you have here. Of course, it’s only fitting for a King.” Zoey inspects it, running her thumb over the gleaming metal.

“Um...I am not the King. I am simply the advisor. She requests I wear that to attest to my status as the Hero, nothing more.  _ I always thought it was a bit dangerous given Ganon’s minions…”  _ Link mutters that last sentence, earning another chuckle from Zoey.

“Yes, that probably isn’t very smart to broadcast your status when there could still be enemies around. Though, I doubt it. After his defeat, even the creatures that had begun to find their way into Timori disappeared. I don’t think there is anything to worry about, Hero.”

Link stares at Zoey a moment, his eyes flickering from his headpiece still in her hands, to her eyes. She was taller than him, her boots giving her a few extra inches, but it was clear even without them she had a large presence. “May I have that back now?” He extends his hand towards the hunk of metal, his eyebrow quirking in annoyance when she holds it out of his reach.

“Of course, Hero.” She moves to place the piece back on his head, stepping very close to him.

“Could you please not call me ‘Hero’?” Link whispers, his body tensing from her proximity.

Zoey hums, placing the crown on his head, and fiddling with it until it was placed properly. She steps, smiling at him.

“No.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_ “Why do I always have to be the one to do this shit?”  _ Link mutters to himself as he places a book onto one of the many shelves in the large castle library. He huffs, glaring at the massive piles of books.  _ “We have a fucking librarian for a reason. But no, I don’t know how to say no to people and just end up in here for hours on  _ **_fucking_ ** _ end doing someone else’s job! Yes, be the hero, Link! Be so super helpful and do everyone’s  _ **_fucking jooobbb! HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”_ ** He places his face in his hands, screaming into them.

“Would you like some help, Hero?” An amused voice sounds very close to his ear. Link whips around, quickly pulling a dagger from his belt and swiping it at the source of the voice. An unnaturally cold hand caught his wrist, the blade inches from the Timorine’s face. “My apologies, that probably was not a wise thing to do to a stressed Hero.” Zoey had only been there a few weeks, but seemed hellbent on sneaking up on Link every chance she got.

Link huffs at her, pulling his hand away. “Could you stop calling me Hero? It’s annoying. And quit standing so close to me!”

“Tragic, really. Would you like some help with these books?” She smirks at him, chuckling at the annoyed glare he sends her way. Without waiting for an answer, she grabs one of the books, reading the spine. Link grumbled to himself, grabbing a book of his own. He turns to look at its spine, but his eyes begin to wander.

Zoey wasn’t wearing the heels she wore when she arrived, and she was most definitely taller than most women he’d seen. Her hair was a deep purple that could almost be mistaken for black. She wore a short white cape on her left arm, the back longer than the front, and connected to her clothing with a jewel shaped like an inverted triangle. Her black top extended into a skirt that was sectioned into pieces that fanned out, covering matched leggings that holes running down the sides. Her flat black boots had crimson red stitching that matched two feathers braided into her hair. She snickered, holding the book in her arm, pressed against her side, and turned towards Link. She tilted her head, smiling at him.

“It’s not polite to stare, Hero.” She passes by him to place the book on a shelf.

“Um...that’s not where that goes.” Link raises an eyebrow at her, moving to take the book back off the shelf. Zoey doesn’t move, watching his movement as he takes it and places it on the shelf two rows above where Zoey had put it. “Close, but not-” He stops short, noticing how close she had gotten once more, the smile still present. Link could feel her breath, which was almost as unnaturally cold as her hands had been. She rests her arm on the shelf, leaning closer to him. “-close enough…”

Link’s breathing got heavier with every second. Her eyes definitely had a red tinge to them, her pale skin almost grey. She didn’t look like a Timorine, known for their light hair and dark skin. She was so much taller than he was used to, and her smile held an unsettling emotion. Her teeth were sharp, canines that seemed perfect for biting. Her long nails were painted black, with a purple sheen to them that seemed to match her hair.

“Hi.” She whispers, inches from Link’s face. He swallows, his eyes moving to stare at the books in front of him.

“Hi…” He whispered back, his hand still lingering on the book he had placed onto the shelf. “What are you doing?”

“What do you think I’m doing, Hero?” She moves again, turning the two of them so that Link’s back was against the bookshelf.

“Okay,  _ why  _ are you doing it?”

“Do you not want me to?”

“I don’t know.” Link’s hands grip the edges of the shelves behind him, his nails digging into the wood.

“I’m not going to kiss you unless you say I can, Link. Can I?” Zoey’s nose barely pressed against Link’s, that smile never wavering. She was the same height as him, but it felt as if she was engulfing him.

Link’s hands found their way to the side of Zoey’s shirt, holding onto the fabric as she got closer. Another chuckle emitted from her, and this time Link felt it. Freezing cold lips met his, just as cold hands winding into his hair.

He felt like he was being swallowed whole. Every worry he had had the past few months were now the farthest things from his mind. The frantic fear and pain he had felt every day was gone, leaving only her cold hands and russet eyes.

A hesitant cough breaks the two from each other, Zoey quickly stepping back, her hands folded behind her. The Princess stood in the doorway of the library, smiling mischievously at the duo.

Link clears his throat, waving to her. “Hey, Mira….What...are you doing?”

“I think the question is what are  _ you  _ doing? Though I guess the answer to that would be Lady Zoey.” She cackles, running out of the library with Link quickly running after her.

“HEY GET BACK HERE!!!” He sprints down the hallway, leaving Zoey alone. She snorts, shaking her head. She begins to walk out, waving a hand. A black smoke engulfs the stacks of books and quickly places them in all of their rightful spots. The heavy door shuts behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m surprised the Hero of Hyrule doesn’t live in the castle.” A low voice sounded in Link’s ear, causing him to jump.

“OH MY GODDESSES DO YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS DO THAT!?!?” He whips around, snarling at the woman who had somehow managed to get into his house. “How’d you even get in here?! I locked the door!!”

“Lock’s broken.” Zoey points to the door, and Link groans.

“Of course it is, of course it fucking is. Because everything I own breaks.” He stomps over to the door, fiddling with the lock. Suddenly, he stands up straight, and turns on his heel. “Wait...did you dye your hair?”

Zoey’s hair was no longer the deep purple it was. “I’m Timorine, I have naturally white hair. The color’s finally fading out.” Her hair had changed to a much lighter purple, though it was still very vibrant.

“Oh. Right. Why the fuck are you in my house?”

“I was wanting to speak with you, but Lady Mira said you like to be out of the castle as much as possible during the week.” Zoey runs her fingers over the wood table against the wall, before jumping up to sit on it.

“You just really like following me around, don’t you? Real suspicious, Zoey.” Link walks back over to her and leans against the table, staring at the ground.

She snorts, scooting over the table to sit behind him. She wraps her around his waist, tucking them under his arms and over his stomach. “Yes, very suspicious.” She presses her nose against his cheek. “Because who could resist such an adorable Hero. I might just have to  _ eat you.”  _ Zoey presses her teeth to Link’s ear, cackling at the shiver she earned from him.

“Is that a promise?” He smiles, grabbing onto her arms that were locked around him. He turns, pulling from her grip and grabs onto the front of her shirt, pulling her off the table. He continues to walk backwards, guiding her towards the bed on the other side of the room.

_ “Of course.” _

  
  


~~~~~

  
  


_ Days felt different with her. They felt right. I would wake up to her. Even as I got sicker, I didn’t realize it with her around. She was even able to help me figure out why I was getting sick. _

_ Apparently you aren’t supposed to kill your Dark. _

_ I fought my Dark image in the Great Palace. And I defeated him. Ran him through. You’re not supposed to do that. _

_ Your Dark is the other half of your soul. Same goes for them. I was his soul’s other half. But even he didn’t know we weren’t supposed to fight. At least not until I won. I think he realized it. I remember him reaching for me. His body was there for a while. These shadows had poured out of him, his glowing red eyes turning completely black, matching his skin and hair. I decided to bury him. _

_ He looked so tiny. It felt like I was looking at a younger version of myself. When we buried him, his hair wasn’t black anymore. _

_ It was purple. _

_ Zoey would sometimes sit by herself on the roof of the house. Just staring at the sky. She’d speak about other worlds. She spoke about Darks and what they were, how they worked. I never questioned her knowledge about them, but that was just another thing on the list of stupid shit I’ve done. _

_ Apparently, when a Dark loves someone so much, a kiss from that person can turn the Dark’s hair white, and purify them. _

_ She kissed me one night, and her hair turned white. _

**_Then she tried to kill me._ **

  
  
  


_ I know she didn’t want to do anything she did. _

_ I know she loved me. I don’t blame her for what happened. _

_ I was angry for a long time. But that was just because I didn’t realize what was really happening. _

_ Not until that freak jumped out of the mirror and took my place. _

_ Not until the little blue-eyed demon that I once killed crawled into my lap in that stone cell. _

_ Every time I was with her, I felt like I was being consumed by her. _

_ I felt like I was being consumed by him. _

_ But I’m still nothing but a tyrant. Someone who flailed for control over his life when he was losing it and ending up hurting a lot of people. _

_ I deserve this. _

_ ~ _

**_“The Hero is not fit to protect the people anymore, Queen Zelda! Something must be done! He has run off with that Timorine and could lead us all to ruin!”_ **

**_“You will not tell me how to rule my kingdom! I know Link better than any of you. He is sick. He could die soon. He and Zoey have been planning their trip for months.”_ **

**_“It seems that Timorine soldier knows him better than you do, Queen. She is always at his house, and he has only been getting sicker since she arrived.”_ **

**_“Link has always been sick. Since the battle he had at the Great Palace, he has been sick. Her arrival has nothing to do with it, that was inevitable. Zoey has done nothing but help our kingdom. The princess and Queen Lasata are engaged, and Hyrule is flourishing. Do not speak of her in such a way.”_ **

**_“There was blood and shattered glass in the Hero’s house, Your Highness. His bathroom was covered in a black, tar-like substance. She might not be as innocent as you think she is.”_ **

**_“...What?”_ **

**_~_ **

Hands gripped the back of Link’s neck as he threw up the black tar that was hellbent on pouring out of his mouth. One hand was cold, the other warm. The creature’s voice whispered into his ear.

“Give up, Link. Just give up. Let me help you.”

“No, no no. Let go of m-HRK!!” More tar poured out of Link’s mouth, covering the floor and glass that was scattered over it.

“Link, just lay down. You’re sick…”

“I’M SICK BECAUSE OF YOU, YOU STUPID MIRROR!” He shouts, whipping his arms back to dislodge the hands from his body.

The hands finally moved, and the voice quieted. Link continued to throw up the heavy substance, until finally, it slowed down, allowing him to breathe. He looks up, a large piece of his broken bathroom mirror showing him how terrible he looked.

His skin was covered in angry black marks, his mouth stained with whatever black liquid was fighting its way out of his body. Tears flowed down his cheeks, and a sob broke through the fitful coughing.

_ “I don’t wanna die…”  _ He whimpers, pressing his fingers against the glass.

A hand shoots out of the glass, grabbing Link by the throat and pulling him towards it. His vision goes black, the warm hand pressing into his skin, the cold one holding onto his arm. The voice whispered into his ear again.

**_“You’re sick because of yourself, Link. But you aren’t going to die. Because I’m going to save you~”_ **

**_~_ **

_ “You are a Majora! Light and Dark Reflections should never Converge without their Wards present!! And you have used your power to throw one of your Wards into the hands of Pitches! You think we are going to let you back into the Mirrors?!” _

_ “I am...simply...trying to help him….” _

_ “You think throwing your Ward into the hands of Maligna and Luculen was helping him?! No, you just wanted to BE him!  _ **_MAJORA!”_ **

**_“I’M NOT A MAJORA!”_ **

_ A scream echoed through the realm made of mirrors, setting off a shockwave that knocked the traitorous Reflection back. _

_ “You will take on the Infection your Ward had. And you will get just what you wanted. His life. But you will forget you were ever a guardian. You will live in the pain he did, and you will not know the love he had. Because that is all a little tyrannical majora like you deserves.” _

_ ~ _

A cough rocked through the body of the man curled on the floor. Glass dug into his hands as he sat up, frantically trying to pull himself up. Sapphire eyes caught sight of a large chunk of a broken mirror. Long curly brown hair framing a pale face. He pressed his hands to his face, the left one cold against his cheek, the right one warm.

A shocked gasp broke the man out of his stupor, causing him to whip his head towards the door. A woman with thick auburn hair stared down at him in shock.

“Link?”

“Ami…?”

“N-no...It’s Mira. Link, where have you been?!” She kneels on the ground, pressing her hands to his face.

“Ami…” He repeats, catching a piece of her hair in his fingers. “Hi…”

“I...Hi, Link.” She stops, sighing, and yanks him into a hug, which he hesitantly returns.

“You’ve been gone so long, Link. We were so worried.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_ “Ya know, you don’t have to talk to them like that!” An unexpected voice chimes from the group. All heads turn to the young princess, her hands resting on her hips, a disgusted sneer on her face. _

_ “Oh really?” _

_ “Yeah, really. You’re acting like you’re the fucking king or some shit.” _

_ “Well, I kinda am. I’m the King of this fucking town. What I say goes, here.” _

_ “Well, nobody likes a  _ **_tyrant.”_ **

_ “Well, sometimes, sweetheart,  _ **_tyrants_ ** _ are the only ones who get shit done.” He laughs, opening the door. “Unless you want to head to that nasty hotel too, I suggest y’all get in here. It’s about to rain.” _

  
  
  
  


_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

  
  


**Character Unlock:**

**-Reflection of the Hero of the Decline and his Dark: Tyrant**

**Known Powers:**

**-Thunder Magic**

**-Fairy Magic**

**-Shield Magic**

**-Jump Magic**

**-Life Magic**

**-Fire Magic**

**-Spell**

**Known Eras:**

**-Era of the Decline**

**-Era of Restoration**

**-Era of Collapse**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**_Welcome to the Reflection._ **

**_You will be meeting the Reflections of the Hero of Time and his Dark next._ **

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_ **

  
  
  


**_“What are you going to call yourself, Hero?”_ **

  
  


**_“Bound.”_ **

  
  
  


**_~_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi i ship Zoey and Bound so much its not even funny. And now of course i ship Bound and Lepus. HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA OKAY
> 
> This one took a bit. Next Reflections up are Ray and Rinku's, which will be revealed after the next chapter, which will actually be a regular HB chapter instead of The Reflection or HBBNF.
> 
> So yeah
> 
> Stay crazy, my Lovely Proxies~!!!
> 
> Creator Twitchy out~


	23. The Forms They Take

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dreams of a Hunter.

The knocking at the door would not stop. It was frantic and loud, echoing through the house. Tenn crouched by the door, her sister peeking from the hallway.

“Lydia, get back! Go to Mom’s bathroom and hide in there until I come get you. Now!” Tenn hissed, her sister quickly running to the back of the house. The banging got louder, before stopping completely. Tenn slowly stood up, quietly stepping into the living room to look through the window. Before she could get to it, the banging started again, more time between each thump. It sounded like whoever was outside was trying to bust the door down.

The door shook and one of the locks broke off, pieces of wood starting to fly. Tenn sprinted to the back of the house, towards her room. She tore through her closet, grabbing a set of sais from the corner, and ran into her mother’s room, joining her sister in the bathroom. Locking the door behind her, she crawled into the bathtub with Lydia, closing the shower curtain.

The banging continued, until finally an explosive crash sounded, signaling the breaking of the door. It was deathly quiet, nothing but barely-heard, heavy footsteps echoing in the halls. The footsteps made their way through the house, searching for the occupants.

“T…” Lydia’s voice was barely a whisper.

“Yeah, Lyd?”

“Where’s Juliette?”

The little family dog wasn’t in the bathroom with them. She was still out somewhere in the rest of the house. But what made Tenn feel nauseous was the fact that the dog wasn’t barking, like she would if a stranger walked into the house.

“She’s not barking, T.”

“It’s someone she knows.” Tenn started to get out of the tub, pulling the curtain back, when the doorknob began to rattle loudly. She quickly sat back down. Lydia sucked in a breath, flinching when Tenn slapped her hand over her sister’s mouth. The rattling soon stopped, but before either could relax their bodies, the telltale click of the door opening sent a shiver down their spines. They both squeezed their shut, silently hoping whoever it was would leave soon.

Heavy breathing and a quiet metallic clinking signaled the presence of whoever it was. Clunky footsteps got closer to the tub, and a pale hand gripped the edge of the curtain, quickly shoving it back.

“The fuck are you two doing?” A familiar drawl causing Tenn’s eyes to fly open. Standing in her mother’s bathroom was Twitch, holding Juliette. They were soaked head to toe, black sunglasses over their eyes, decorated with green frames and blue lines. Their brown boots were caked in mud, but somehow, none of it had tracked behind them into the bathroom. Neither did the water seeming to pour off of them.

“The fuck are we doing?! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!!” Lydia screeches, throwing her hands up. “You broke into our house at 3 am!!”

“It’s 2:53 am, actually, and I didn’t break in. The door was open when I got here. So I came in here to check what the fuck was going on.” Twitch sets down Juliette, who happily waddles out of the bathroom. They extend a hand to Tenn, helping pull her out of the tub, then does the same for Lydia. “Your hinges are broken.”

“Yeah, because someone was trying to bust down the door. Why were you around our house at almost 3 am?” Tenn questions as they leave the bathroom.

“Had a weird feeling. Guess it was right.” They trudge back out into the main hall of the house, their head turning to regard the busted door. “Whatever it is, hasn’t left.”

Tenn quickly steps back. “Wait, what?!”

“It’s not a person, Tenn. Quit freaking out.”

“Okay, I’ll stop freaking out when you tell me what the hell is going on! None of this makes any sense!!”

“It’ll never make sense, Tenn. Lydia. Go to bed. Everything is fine.” Twitch doesn’t move, still staring at the door. Tenn turns to look at Lydia, who has gone silent as well. Her expression turns to horror as Lydia’s face takes a blank look, and she slowly turns to walk towards her room.

“Twitch...what’s going on….?” Tenn’s eyes land on the TV in the living room, which is now filled with static.

“Go sit in the dining room, Tenn.” Twitch speaks again, but their voice feels different. A ringing fills Tenn’s ears, and her body moves without her telling it to. She sits in the seat on the end of the table in the nearby dining room, Twitch slowly moving towards the seat on the opposite end. The ringing stops when they sit, and Tenn stares at them with wide eyes.

“Do you know what a hivemind is, Tenn?” Twitch crosses their arms on the table, the black sunglasses shielding their eyes, their mouth set in an expressionless line.

“I...I don’t know…”

“A hivemind is a collection of souls. I like to call them Circuits. It’s a singular system made of thousands of smaller ones. Individuals. Combining to form one entity at its core. Do you know what a Cyberdemon is?”

“No…”

“A Cyberdemon is an old, old creature. It wasn’t always known as a Cyberdemon, but they are known for being able to manipulate the very electrons in the air. They would thrive in this era, with how much we rely on electronic technology, which they can easily permeate and take over. But for some reason, there is only a select number of them left in existence.”

“Okay…Twitch, what is this all abo-”

“Quiet.” The growl beneath Twitch’s voice filled Tenn’s body with fear and dread. Something was very wrong. Whatever this thing was in front of her, wasn’t her friend.

At least, not completely.

“Cyberdemons commonly form hiveminds. They’re some of the only Homebodies that can pick Conduits and consume them to do such a thing. Reincarnation is also very common in Cybers.”

“What do you mean by-”

“Homebodies? People from Home. Creatures from Home. Conduits? Conduits are living creatures that can sense the energy from Home and have it fed through them without dying. Almost every living creature can have the energy moved through them, but only Conduits can survive prolonged exposure.”

“Are you a Conduit?”

“No, Tenn.”

“Are you...a Homebody?”

Twitch goes silent at Tenn’s question. Slowly, they pull the sunglasses off of their face. Their brown eyes were almost black in the dim light. They smile. It’s unnatural, unearthly.

_“No. I’m not.”_

It felt like everything around Tenn was breaking. Like the world was starting to fall apart. Her head began to pound. Breathing was painful. The static from the TV felt like it was entering the very air, rippling over her skin. Freezing cold hands gripped her neck from behind, just-as-cold breath fanning over her ear.

Twitch opened their mouth again, but the voice came from right in Tenn’s ear.

**_“But we are.”_ **

Tenn felt herself get yanked back, unable to see anything but strands of blonde hair and blood red irises.

An eerie laugh echoed in her ears, and everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A knock sounded at Tenn’s bedroom door, jolting her awake.

“Tennisan! Your friend is here! Also, let Juliette out when you get up, I’m leaving for work!” Her mother’s voice shouted from the other side of the door. Tenn let out a loud groan in response, faceplanting back into her pillow. The click of the door signalled Twitch’s entrance, a raspy chuckle sounding from them as they leaned on the door frame.

“Up up up. Time to get uuppp~” A hard object smacked against Tenn’s side, causing her to bolt up in her bed. Her eyes land on one of her shoes now laying on top of her sheets.

“DID YOU JUST CHUCK A SHOE AT ME?!” She shrieks at the gremlin giggling in her doorway.

“Possibly~ GET UUUPPP!!” Twitch’s eyes were covered by oddly familiar sunglasses, a mischievous grin spread on their face. They run over to jump onto Tenn’s bed, landing on top of her. They bounce, earning a grunt from the younger teen, who then let out an overexaggerated cry. “Oh I did not hurt you. Come on, get up.”

“Why are you here so early?” Tenn rubs her face, sitting up.

“It’s nighttime, Tenn. I’ve been here for hours.” Twitch’s voice seems to change. Tenn turns her head towards Twitch, whose face has taken on a blank expression. “You keep asking me that question. Are you alright?” Their voice got lower, and a feeling of pure dread ran up Tenn’s spine. She turned her head, looking out her window. It was no longer bright outside as it had been when she woke up. It was pitch black.

Tenn slid off her bed, slowly stepping towards the window. She grabbed the cord for the blinds, and raised them.

Outside was a hellscape. The house across the street was nothing but a hunk of burning brick and wood. The sky was a sickly purple, the street was flooded with water that seemed to come straight out of the sewer. A cold breeze blew on the back of her neck, now familiar icy fingers slowly slipping to encompass her neck.

A voice whispered in the back of her mind, and with it a sense of being thrown backwards, wind whipping around her.

**_~~~~~~~~~_ **

**_“What are you doing out here?”_ **

**_“Waiting.”_ **

**_“For who, B-----”_ **

**_“You know who.”_ **

**_“Do you think they’ll remember you?”_ **

**_“If they don’t, then I’ll just keep waiting until they do. You know how it goes, Tennisan.”_ **

**_“But how long are you really willing to wait?”_ **

**_“As long as it takes. No many how many forms I take. Or stories I have to tell. I will wait for them. That’s how it goes, that’s how it will always go. Over and over. The fate of a Circuit. Glitched or otherwise.”_ **

**_~~~~~~~_ **

**_“There is something in the air, Tenn. Something that’s telling me. That an event I’ve been waiting for, for a very long time, is finally about to happen.”_ **

**_“I feel sick. Like my head is pounding and I feel like I’m going to throw up. Is something bad going to happen?”_ **

**_“Bad for other people, maybe. But this means we finally get to go Home. I don’t know what I’ll do if I’m wrong about this.”_ **

**_“I know. You need to get Home. But what about all the people here? Your brother, my family? Our families?”_ **

**_“Only a piece of us will go Home. But they are the pieces that matter. You just have to let them go Home, Tenn. Then. Those pieces will become nothing but stories to us.”_ **

**_“So we won’t know Twitch and Tenn anymore?”_ **

**_“We’ll know them, but they won’t be real to us. They’ll only be stories.”_ **

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_ **

“You’re…” Tenn stared into glowing red eyes, framed by white-blonde hair. The familiar creature slowly raised a finger to their lips, and as they did so, their appearance changed. Blonde turned to a bright green, red to a brown that looked almost black. Tenn stopped, and a silent understanding washed over her.

_Don’t say anything._

A smile started to form on the being’s face, unnaturally wide, with an eerie glint in their eyes.

_No matter the forms I take, or the stories I have to tell… I am here._

**_Who are you?_ **

_Who am I?_

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**I am the Answer. _  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
_** **_~_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of y'all might not get the references unless you follow Jadusable/Alex Hall on youtube and all the Methods of Revolution stuffs. But uh. : D
> 
> Sometimes people might forget Hyrule-Bound is still a Creepypasta AU.
> 
> It's an AU of my main series, MSATC, which is a Creepypasta series (and getting a reboot right now)
> 
> Chapter 17 (if you're on tumblr)/Chapter 24 (if you're on AO3) is being worked on right now, we're gonna be going back to our peeps in the Era of the Wild.


	24. Those Chained to Calamity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are those chained to death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: MENTIONS OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AND DEATHS

“Did you cut your hair yourself?” Wild’s fingers hovered by the jagged edges of Aoife’s hair. The young princess avoided looking at him, keeping her eyes on her hands. They both sat on the steps of a riverside stable Fissure and the others had brought Aoife and her boys to after they were finally able to move on their own.

“Yes. Took scissors to it.” Aoife’s voice was barely above a whisper. Wild rested his arm on his knee, shooting a glance at Fissure and Sil, who both shrugged.

“How old are you, Aoife?”

“Old enough to know telling strangers my age isn’t smart.”

Sean snorts, earning a smack in the arm from Lucas. Wild sighs, shaking his head.

“Your Zelda might have been easy to crack, Wild, but this one won’t be the same type of challenge.” Saoirse chuckles from beside the cooking pot.

The stable they were currently staying at was one Aoife recognized, though it looked a lot newer than it did in her Era. Young children ran around, playing sword fights with sticks they had found on the ground. A river ran behind it, small outcroppings with fences holding livestock. A man in a cropped white shirt and blue shorts sat on the ground outside, a massive backpack situated on his back. He waved happily to every passerby, once in a while someone would come up to him and take a look at his wares. He reminded Aoife of the young boy that ran around her Castle Town, waving down whoever he could, just to tell them about a beetle he found. He even had the same hair and ruddy-colored nose.

“So why are we just sitting here? Don’t you have the Slate?” Sean asks from the floor next to one of the beds. Lucas was lying in said bed, half of his body hanging upside-down off of the edge.

“Oh...no. We only have two of them currently. One is the one Wild used, and then one we managed to make, though it doesn’t work at its full capacity just yet.” Sil hopped up on the counter of the stable, the worker sitting behind it simply chuckling at her actions.

“Huh...Well by our time I guess you made a lot of them. All of the noble or researcher families have one for their household.”

“Are you nobility?”

Sean shakes his head. “Researcher. Plus I’m from Kakariko, so most of the families there have them anyways. My mom’s an assistant of the Hateno Director.”

“And who would that be in your time?”

“I don’t know his name. We all just call him Director, honestly. I think my mom knew his name, but she never called him by it, and I’ve never heard anyone call him by anything so…” Sean shrugs, fiddling with a bracelet on his wrist. Sil hums.

“Our Hateno Director is a woman named Purah. She’s the one who made the second Sheikah Slate.”

“I’ve heard of her. Didn’t she use a rune that turned her into a child?”

Sil and Wild snort in tandem, Wild failing to hold back his laugh. “Yes, she did. That was only a few years ago, so she’s still rather small. But back to your earlier question. The Slate we have with us, its teleportation abilities are a bit….inaccurate. We couldn’t risk using it earlier while you all were injured, and we found it would just be safer to wait for escorts from the castle. We still get the occasional Yiga or monster popping up here and there, and I’d rather avoid that as much as possible.”

“Fair enough.” Sean sighs, leaning his head against the edge of the bed, Lucas’s head moving to press against his.

“Lucas,” Wild starts, “You’re Riju’s great-great….great-grandson? Right?”

“Yeah. I have four little sisters and one elder sister, too. My mom’s the current Gerudo Champion. Our great-grandmother was the one before her. My mom’s grandmother.”

“Oh, so she’s fifth generation. That’s crazy. Who are your other Champions? I’m assuming you’re the current Knight, since you came here with the Master Sword.” Wild gestures to the sword laying across Lucas’s chest.

“Uuuhhhh. So we got my mom, Jameela. Then we have Prince Rani, our Zora Champion. Chief Manivo, the Goron Champion. And then Miss Quinn, she’s our Rito Champion. A lot of people are really scared of my mom, cause they think she’s super intimidating, but she’s honestly the weirdest in our family and just wants to eat voltfruit and scream from the top of Vah Naboris.” This earns a laugh from the group, Aoife attempting to hide hers.

“Manivo is a big uncle type. He looks so scary until he starts talking, and he’s so head over heels for this one stable worker at the foot of Death Mountain, that he’ll forget how to talk and just end up burping really loud. Rani always makes fun of him for it. Then of course, Rani’s a psycho. He’s the elder son of the current Zora Queen, who’s actually Sidon’s granddaughter, by the way. The whole Zora Royal Family is made up of absolute dorks. Quinn’s a shy little thing, but damn can she shoot a bow. Pretty sure Rani’s got a thing for her, too.” Lucas laughs, sharing a knowing look with Sean. They both nod, busting out in raucous laughter. Aoife chuckles from her spot, shaking her head.

“Quinn has a thing for Zora in general, I’m sure she’s got a thing for Rani, too.” Aoife snorts, leaning back to lay on the floorboards of the stable. “So when’s this escort gonna be here?”

“Should be any minute now, but I should warn you. She’s a bit...uh...intimidating at first. But I promise, she’s a little softie.” Sil snickers, hopping off of the counter. The worker sitting behind the counter grimaces, and proceeds to sit down on the floorboards, hiding. “Oh, right. Sorry, Ember, I forgot you aren’t exactly a fan of...wolves.”

“Wolves?” Aoife raises an eyebrow, but before she can do anything, a mass of bright orange furs completely blocks her view.

Massive paws plant themselves on either side of Aoife’s body, claws digging into the floorboards. Ember ducks under the counter, but the rest of the stableworkers seem unfazed. Bright, glowing blue eyes peer down at Aoife over a muzzle filled with oddly blunt teeth for a wolf of this size. Speaking of size, this wolf took up most of the doorway, and with the bend of its legs, it was clear it was easily taller than the doorway as well.

The wolf stepped back, letting Aoife sit up, and soon stood to its full height. It was massive, red-orange fur seeming to match the fire that burned beneath the cooking pot Saoirse sat by. It was bigger than any creature Aoife had seen, and even rivaled most of the animal-like machines she had seen researchers in the castle work on. The wolf sat on its haunches, patiently waiting, its tail slowly wagging back and forth on the ground.

“Everyone. This is-” Sil starts, but is cut off by Aoife.

**_“Fera.”_ **Sil stares at Aoife in surprise, and soon that gaze is turned on Sean and Lucas as well, who sprint from their spots to approach the wolf. It bends slightly, nuzzling its nose against Lucas’s cheek, and huffs at Sean.

“Wait...you know her?”

“She’s around in our Era, too. I used to play with her as a child, when McCormick would take me to Korok Forest.” Aoife slowly approached Fera, gently pressing a hand against the wolf’s forehead. “I hadn’t seen her in a while...And it seems she recognizes us, even though we won’t technically meet for another few hundred years. But I guess time never really works the same for goddesses.”

The wolf huffs, her tail wagging faster. Wild takes a step forward, placing a hand against Fera’s ear, giving her a scratch. “Wait, Aoife...Who’s McCormick?”

“Sean’s brother...the last Knight before Lucas.” Her voice is rough and strained, and it sounds as though she’s trying to hold back from crying. She sniffs, clearing her throat. “Fera never really left the Forest by then, but somehow she always managed to be there when it counted.”

Wild stared at Aoife in shock, but said nothing.

_Something doesn’t feel right._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

“Huh...so this is what the castle looked like after the Calamity...You’ve only been rebuilding...3 years now?” Aoife stared up at the large metal crest of Hyrule that towered above the room. The sanctum had fresh wooden floorboards, jagged spots with stone and holes that led down below it along the walls. “This is where he was kept, right? Calamity Ganon?” Fera had run off as soon as she dropped the group off, her massive fiery form streaking across the plains of Hyrule.

“Yes...When he was released, it broke the floor here...That’s why there are these spots along the edges where the boards don’t really fit.” Sil led the group through a doorway in the back of the room, leading down a long hallway.

“What did he look like?” Lucas was staring up at the pictures along the walls when he asked the question, shifting the Master Sword’s sheath on his back as he walked.

“Gross.” Wild answers. “Really gross. It was a mass of nothing but Malice, with old Sheikah tech absorbed into him. Like a giant spider with blue weapons sticking out of him in every direction, it was just... _gross.”_

“Huh...sounds... Gross.” Lucas chuckles.

“Did you ever see his mortal form?” Aoife’s voice had a haunting tone to it, as she stared up at a large painting on the wall. It was incredibly faded from age, but the image of a blonde woman with blue eyes that felt like her own peering down back at her. “Do you know what he was like as a man instead of a beast?”

The group stops. Sean and Lucas keep their eyes averted from Aoife, while Sil, Fissure and Wild stare at her in complete shock. Saoirse sighs.

“Yes. I knew a mortal form of his a very long time ago. I am forever Bound to the Princesses and Princes of Hyrule, so I have met a few incarnations of Ganon. He was a father, you know. A person. A chief. He was a good man, once. But like any person Bound to Malice...he lost his way, whether he wished to or not. And now I believe he wishes to find his way back home.”

“I doubt that.” Aoife’s voice drips with spite and anger.

“Why do you say that, Aoife?”

Aoife doesn’t respond, and simply continues to stare at the painting, blinking back tears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Unfortunately, we do not have the barracks and such rebuilt just yet, so we’ve set up beds here in the library. Our friends in Rito Village have graced us with Rito-down beds, though, so they are very comfortable.” Sil sets down her bag onto one of the beds. Lucas and Sean almost immediately faceplant into their own, curling up into the blankets.

The library had various parts of it still broken down and collapsed, but for the most part it was rebuilt pretty well. The collapsed staircases had been boarded off, ladders allowing passage a different way. Holes that once marred the ceiling were now covered by thick grey tarps, keeping any weather from coming in. 

Aoife sat down on one of the cots that had been set up, and began to search through her bag absent-mindedly. Lost her in thoughts, she didn’t notice Fissure coming up and sitting beside her on the edge of the bed.

“It’s been a while, Aoife.” His voice was softer than usual, but the careful tone just made the young princess angrier.

“Yes. It has. What do you want?” She stops rummaging through the bag, but doesn’t take her hands out of it, and keeps her head down, eyes locked on a small bit of blue peeking out of it.

“I _want_ to know if you’re alright. You’re not usually this quiet when you aren’t around your mother.”

“And what would you know, _Fissure._ Dumb nickname, by the way. Do these people even know your real one? I fucking doubt it.”

“What is going on with you?”

“What’s going on with me?!” Aoife pulls her hands out of the bag, tugging a bright blue cloth out of it. “What’s going on with me, is that I’ve been yanked through Eras for the past month, not knowing when or if I will ever get home. I have had to watch as some kid I’m traveling with pukes up fucking tar out of his mouth and passes out. I was almost killed by a fucking Lizalfos when a wolf the size of a fucking horse rips its head off and then turns into a _man._ I’ve had to sit here, with the scarf of my dead knight in my bag because I had planned to run off and **_hang myself with it,_ **but instead I’m here. Running around with a bunch of freaks with this damn thing still here, reminding me of what I was going to fucking do.” She stands, holding the blue scarf in her shaking hands.

“I was the one that found them, Fissure. I was the one that found Sean and Link on the ground that day. All because Link didn’t know how to control his temper and got himself killed and Sean badly injured. And now I have to sit, knowing that the reason he even got upset was because of me, so all I feel is guilty that I couldn’t have stopped it from happening. That I couldn’t stop that burden going onto Lucas.”

“Aoife, that is not your fault, you know that…” Sean starts, but flinches back at the sight of her glare.

“No, it is my fault. Because that’s always how it goes. The people I care about get hurt. Malice always follows me. Conflict, hatred, arguments. They are always here.” Tears start flowing down Aoife’s cheeks, the scarf getting balled up in her fists. “People always worried so much about Lucas being the next incarnation of the Calamity. It made me so angry. I got in so many fights with the children in Castle Town when I’d hear them whisper their little omens.”

“Aoife…” Lucas stood, quickly stepping to Aoife’s side, placing a hand on her wrist.

_“But they never realized I was the real Calamity. I’m the next to be Bound to Malice.”_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

**“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE IS THE NEXT MALICE-BOUND?!”** Mali screamed, earning an annoyed sigh from Vanity.

“I mean. She’s the next Malice-Bound. We were wrong about Lucasari. Just because Mise is Lucas’s Dark, and he’s the next Prince here. We thought Lucas would be the next Ganondorf. But we were wrong. It’s Aoife.”

“She just has Power. There have been plenty of princesses with Power before, how could she be the next Ganon?!”

“She just is, Mali. Now can you calm the fuck down so I can get back to work? You have Pitches to chase any minute now.”

“Ghirahim will be taking care of that.” Mali jumped on top of the table Vanity was seated by, crossing his legs.

“Yes, because we can rely on Ghirahim, who is _injured,_ to catch a newborn Pitch. Yes, very smart fucking idea, Maligna.” Vanity scoffs, fiddling with a piece of glowing red technology. The piece was cylindrical, glowing red runes covering it. It had gone silent as he did so, which opted him to send a glance towards Mali.

The Prince was staring at his hands in his lap, slouched over. His hair draped onto his face, glowing red only visible through the cracks in the pitch black strands.

“What in Fayra’s name is wrong with you right now, Mali?” Vanity sets the wrench and piece of tech down on the table, and leans back in his chair.

“I found him, Luculen.” Mali’s voice is strained, barely above a whisper.

“Who?”

“You know who.”

“Well, then where’d you find him?”

“The Keepsake. To the south.”

“The one that was destroyed by Daija over 10,000 years ago?”

“Yes. There’s a small group of people that had taken up residence there. He was with them. He had only been passing through. The villagers didn’t want anything to do with him, they knew he was a Pitch.”

“Do you let them live?”

“I did.”

“Surprising from you. Where did he go?”

“I don’t know. I just saw him for a moment. Then he disappeared. He always was good at hiding where I couldn’t find him. He didn’t tell the villagers where he was going. Just requested a place to sleep and food. They gave it to him, and he left before any of them had woken up.”

“What’s your plan then?” Vanity rolled the chair over closer to Mali, pulling Mali’s hands into his own. “You should really quit scratching at your hands.”

“Can’t help it. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t think he wants to be found anyways. At this point, I should probably give up.” Something catches Vanity’s eyes while Mali is speaking.

A single strand of hair hanging by Mali’s ear.

**_Shining purple in the light of the lab’s monitors._ **

  
  


_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_“Do you know what you are?”_

_“A Dark.”_

_“Yes. The Shadow of a being Bound to a Goddess. Do you know whose Dark you are?”_

_“Link’s.”_

_“Yes. But which one?”_

_“The wolf’s.”_

_“Which one, child?”_

_“The chained one.”_

_“Correct. Do you know your name?”_

_“No.”_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_“What are the little one’s abilities?”_

_“Unknown.”_

_“Hm...And you found him outside the Fortress?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Those Fayrins are not gonna be happy.”_

_“Well, they won’t find out. They wouldn’t expect anyone to try and kidnap an infant Pitch, so they’ll likely assume he was eaten by one of the Ferals.”_

_“Yes, but they can still sense their own if they get close enough. You better hope they never manage to come near him.”_

_“Fayrins have no reason to come into the Keepsakes. They won’t find him.”_

_“How can you even tell if it’s a him?”_

_“Male Fayrins are much smaller than female Fayrins. Though the males have a lot less power and are much less useful as soldiers. Female Fayrins are more closely connected to the Black Goddess, but are much rarer, and stronger, but also lack control and go berserk much easier. The intersex Fayrins are the perfect in-between. Good amount of power, good control. Most Fayrins are intersex. None of them exactly conform to human concepts of biological sex, because they can all look completely different or exactly the same across their sexes. You can only tell by how they handle their abilities or by physical stature. Eyes can sometimes be a good indicator as well. Females have much bigger eyes, since they’re the hunters. Males have dimmer color, and intersex often have discernible irises and movement.”_

_“How do you know so much about these beasts?”_

_“You learn things when you can’t do anythin else but sit in a house full of science books and old legends.”_

_“Fair enough. What should we do with ‘im?”_

_“No idea. He’s not very powerful, so hopefully he won’t destroy anythin. We can’t risk treatin him badly though, cause who knows? He could still kill us with just those claws.” The man kneeled beside the young Dark, extending a hand. “Hi, kiddo. Do you have a name?”_

_The little one stared up at the man, glowing red eyes boring into his soul. The man shivers, but tries again. “My name is Devan. This nice woman next to me is Lima.” He presses his hand against his chest. “Devan.” He points to the woman beside him. “Lima.” He then points his finger at the Dark, tilting his head._

_The young Pitch shakes his head, still staring at the duo silently._

_“Do you not have one, dear?” Lima’s curly brown seemed to float around her head like a cloud, and it definitely caught the child’s attention. He slowly moves to his knees, crawling towards her. She kneels down to his height, a hesitant expression on her face. He raises a velvety claw to swipe gently at a curl, and she smiles at him. “Do you like my hair, dear? Lots of people in our towns have this hair. Maybe we can try and curl yours?”_

_He stares at her a bit longer, and slowly, his hair rises into the air, small wisps of shadows surrounding his head. It changes, gaining the same coarse curls Lima’s held, as well as color. His skin shifts as well, taking on the same dark brown tone she and Devan both had. His eyes mimicked the honey color Lima’s had, the sclera turning white. The only thing that didn’t change were his nails, still long and a deep black-blue color._

_Lima looked to Devan, sharing an amazed look. “The thing can fuckin’ shape-shift. Those claws will need to be covered, but at least this will help avoid suspicion.”_

_The child giggled, shaking his head to make the curls bounce wildly. Devan hummed, placing a hand on Lima’s shoulder._

_“Just try not to get too attached to ‘im, Lim. Fayrins are very dangerous. And he could cause real trouble if we aren’t careful.” Devan looked at the child, sighing. “Try not to kill us all, yeah?”_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Grey hands were yanked up, the still-warm cookie being gently pulled from clawed fingertips._

_“Now, Faeles. You know you aren’t supposed to do that! They aren’t done cooling off, you’ll burn your mouth.”_

_“But Mum!”_

_“No, Faeles. Go sit with your sister and keep her entertained while I finish up here.” The young Dark groaned, but complied, and trotted off to sit next to the toddler with a head of thick brown curls. She stared up at him with honey eyes that looked just like her mother’s, and smiled at him with the three teeth she had. Faeles smiled back, reaching out a hand to the little girl. She grabbed one of his fingers, shaking it up and down, babbling excitedly. A low rumble sounded outside, as footsteps signalled their father’s descent from upstairs._

_“Devan, please go make sure the door is bolted completely. I don’t want those things trying to come in here like they own the fuckin’ place again.”_

_As the evening passed, the rumbling outside the house settled down. For a moment, everything was quiet. The false light in the sky that acted as the Dark World’s sun slowly dimmed, turning the sky a rich blue and purple color, black and orange beginning to creep along the edges of the world. A humming buzzed through the little house, Faeles singing as he leans over the crib of the young girl, sleeping._

**_Then it burned._ **

**_Light poured out of the house, the ground shaking violently. Faeles’ body shook, his nails digging into the edges of the crib, ripping the fabric with his sharp nails. Thunder rumbled outside, lightning striking the ground. Screams sounded, peeling through the once dead silent village, banging and crashing echoing hollowly in Faeles’ ears._ **

**_The young girl started crying, until her mother’s hands wrapped around her, pulling her up. Lima’s voice barely registered to Faeles, her warm hand pressing against his freezing cold cheek. Glowing red eyes stared up at her, iridescent blue tears streaming down his face…_ **

**_And finally it stopped._ **

**_Faeles was curled over Lima’s body, holding his little sister in his arms. Pained sobs ripped through his chest, one hand threaded through the girl’s curly hair, the other balled into Lima’s shirt._ **

**_“I’m sorry, Ze’ev. I’m so sorry.” Faeles whispered to her, letting go of Lima’s shirt to brush the little hairs from Ze’ev’s face. He cradled her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead. As the light overtook him again, his skin losing the grey tone and changing to match hers’, honey eyes looked over the carnage he had unwillingly caused. The cry of a mother who had lost her child rang in Faeles’s ears, matching his own. A pale pink ribbon was tied around his wrist, having been pulled from Ze’ev’s dress, frayed at the edges._ **

  
  


**_I’m sorry._ **

  
  


**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_ **

“He’s the only thing that could wake up my brother, Maligna!” Annie’s hands flexed, her claws primed for a fight. “We have to find him!”

“And I told you we would, Annie! But it’s not exactly easy finding a Dark that doesn’t wish to be found. I made you a promise, and despite how I can be, I make good on my promises.” Mali snarled back at her, eyes glancing at the large metal tank that stood in the middle of the messy room. Annie would spend most of her time here, hidden away in a far wing of the Fayrin Stronghold, away from the Labs and the other Creation Vats.

Annie sighed, turning her head back to the tank, and pressed her hand against the glass, staring into the rolling mass of purple-black shadows. A tiny dim red light shone deep in the middle, signaling the eyes of the Pitch that hadn’t yet been freed of his cage.

“15,000 years, Mali. 15,000 years he has been stuck in this thing. Why? Why couldn’t he have come out with me?”

“I don’t know Annira. But we will get Ekulir out. I promise.”

“You haven’t called me Annira since I was a child. Honestly, you haven’t spoken a kind word to me since then, either. Has all of this really made you so terrible? Whatever happened to the kind boy that was always so happy to see his siblings? So happy to play with Zoey and Daija and Saoirse? So happy to speak to me?” Annie stared down at Mali, tears pooling in her large eyes. “Whatever happened to the Prince who swore he’d unite the Dark World and bring happiness to us all?”

“That Prince is gone, Annie. You know that. All that matters now, is that we get revenge on the Light World and fulfill the purpose that we were created for.” Mali turned on his heel, and walked out.

_“Yes, because being a weapon against all other forms of life is such an incredible purpose, Maligna!”_ Annie’s voice called after him, the door shutting as he left.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~


	25. Navigators

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A suspicious traveler is often known as navigators, or....
> 
> A navi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Annie is singing is Nicki Jensen's cover of the Song of Healing. You will see this song referenced a LOT. Go check it out!!!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEhpKadFfRA

A slow, gentle hum was all that could be heard in the cavernous stone room. A large hand with long, clawed nails laid pressed on the ground, palm down, the Pitch curled up on the back of it seeming tiny in comparison. Annie’s own nails raked softly against the knuckle of the hand, humming an age-old song. Massive blue eyes stared down at her, dirty blonde hair draping over their face.

_“Day to night….dark to light...fall the sands of time…”_ Annie’s voice was quiet when she sang, cracking with certain words.

“To sing the Song of Healing to me is a bit odd for you, Annira.” The large woman looked down at Annie with a sad fondness, her other hand moving towards the Pitch, a single nail gently pushing Annie’s hair from her face.

“You’re the only one I’d sing it to other than Ekulir or Rana. And I see you a lot anyways, so it's only natural we’d get at least somewhat close. I don’t really talk to anyone else.”

“Ah, yes. You do get hurt very often. A Great Fairy was surely a welcome addition with how clumsy some of you are.” The woman chuckles, the water around her rippling as she shifts.

“Mmm,” Annie hums, placing her hands under her cheek. Soon after, the clicking of clawed feet and hands on the ground echoed in the room, signalling the arrival of another.

Three sharp whistles sounded, Annie’s ears perking at the sound. She sighed, sitting up, and looked over at Bandit, who now sat crouched on the ground a few feet from the entrance to the Fountain. He kept his head down, hands running over the stone floor, humming lowly in small intervals.

“It seems you are being called, Annira. Go on, now.” The fairy gently pushed Annie off of her hand, nudging her towards where Bandit sat. Annie groaned, leaning into the finger that pressed against her cheek, before turning on her heel and following Bandit out of the room.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Ciela.” Annie calls out before disappearing into the darkness of the hallway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So...you can just... Create portals on a whim? Like...just...poof.” Sky stared at Rana, who held back a chuckle.

“Yes, pretty much. Also, question. How are the two Reflections currently? Does that mirror I gave you work well?” Rana pointed to the bag slung over Sky’s shoulder. He looks down at it, patting the side.

“Yeah, it seems to work alright. So...you know where the others are?”

“Yes. Aoife, Lucas and Sean are in the Era of the Wilds. Ray, Gloam and Tyrant are in Ray’s Era, the Era of the Hero of Time. I will be taking you to that Era, then I will go and get those three and bring them there as well.”

“Why that Era specifically?” Torrent fiddles with belts at his waist, which had gotten tangled as he had put them on. After fixing them, he absently rubbed at the newly-shaved sides of his head, mussing the longer top. Serenity was tying a small string around a longer strand of hair at the right side of her head, a solemn look on her face. “What’s so special about it?”

“Well, that Era is where the timelines split into three. It’s one of the most important Eras of all, and it is likely the place you’ll get the most answers to questions you have, whether they regard this journey, or something you’ve wondered for years before.” Rana flipped her hair out of her face, eyeing Four, who sat in one of the larger chairs a few feet from the group. “Now, I’m still on the fence about transporting your Converging friend over there, but if he really thinks he can handle it, then I can’t exactly deny his request.”

Four’s eyes shifted to the group, and a tired smile barely graced his lips before falling again. His breathing was heavy and ragged, and he struggled to raise his head from the back of the chair. He finally pulled himself to sit up, using the Four Sword to hold himself up as he stood.

“I will be fine. I’m not going to just sit and wait to die, so I might as well keep going while I can. Besides, you said that Era could have answers. Maybe it can give some for me, something that could help me.” Four looked at Rana, a determined look in his eyes. She nods, but her concerned expression didn’t change.

“Alright. If you’re sure.”

~~~~~~~

Warrior sat on the grass outside the castle, a small Triforce pin in his hands. He stared down at the pin, running his fingers over it, ignoring the soft grunt that sounded beside him as someone sat down. Torrent’s tell-tale orange pants appeared in the corner of his eye, but Warrior didn’t look at him, simply continuing to stare down at the pin.

“What’s up with you, Mr. Knight?” Torrent rested his arm on one of his knees, pushing the braid at the side of his head back behind his ear.

Warrior shook his head. “We couldn’t get to him in time….He got really hurt because we just weren’t fast enough. Ravio won’t leave his side, we have to pull him out of the room so he’ll actually sleep instead of just staring at Tear the whole time. He has an Infection now because of it.”

“You couldn’t have done anything more, Warrior. Rana was able to get to him, he’s alive. The other Era might have a way to help him.”

“How do we know that’ll even work?! What’s so special about the Era of the Hero of Time anyways?! I’ve heard all these legends about it, hell, I’ve DRESSED as him before, my Zelda has dressed as the Princess from that Era before. We’ve….we’ve heard all these stories, but...what makes it so special?”

“Well,” Torrent pulls his other leg towards him, sitting crisscross, “apparently that Era is where everything was supposed to end. Like. The world was meant to end then, forever. Every single person would die. Plants would shrivel and the water would all dry up. The magic of the land would be gone, because the Triforce was meant to lose all of its energy. But, instead. Five girls were born to the Gerudo tribe in the desert there. And with them, they brought power back to the Triforce, and brought the energy of another Force into the world again. A Force that they thought had been lost to them a long time ago. And so, the world kept going. But with their arrival, an evil was brought in. I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”

“Ganondorf.”

“Mhmm.” Torrent hums, staring off across the field. “Honestly, he was a nice guy. He was just...broken. I think the loss of his daughters hurt him more than he could bear. Knowing how badly he had failed them and how a blessing he gained from one of them, just made him do terrible things.”

“A blessing?”

“Only people specifically touched by a Goddess can wield the Triforce or any of its pieces. The touch can be inherited as well, through blood or blessing of a Wielder that had it. I don’t know whether I inherited mine or if I was blessed. But… One of the daughters still exists. Her name is Skylar.”

“I know her.”

“Right...she had come through during that War of yours. Serenity is her descendant, and the next Farore. But Skylar is from that Era. She was born the same day the Hero of Time was. But her mother was forced to abandon her in the woods, leave her to die. The Great Deku Tree instead allowed her to be reborn as a Skull Kid, and she even helped raise the Hero of Time, and gave him the Blessing of Courage, so that when the time came...He’d be able to either wield the whole Triforce, or if it were to be split, he’d get Courage.”

“How do you know so much about this?”

“Serenity. She’s told me a lot about it. She inherited the knowledge of it from Skylar, and she’s something of a Guardian of Time here. At least, she’s the closest thing we have to one. Might just be because she’s a Farore.”

“Huh...So the Era of the Hero of Time. It’s where the timelines split, right?”

“Yes. This one is the result of the Hero of Time going forward in time, defeating the King of Evil, and then returning to his own Era. We’re the timeline he left behind. Ganondorf returned, and a Hero didn’t show up, since he had taken the Force of Courage back with him, so through some divine intervention, my guess is through Skylar, Hyrule was flooded. Ganondorf and all of Hyrule were sealed under the water. Skylar exiled herself to the Forest Haven, and so that she could be reincarnated again, she slowly began to turn herself into a tree. She couldn’t move from her spot anymore when I met her. I was only 12…”

“What was she like then? I’m guessing this was well before you saw her during the war again.”

“Yeah. I was 14 during the war so it was 2 years after. She was….so relieved when she saw me. She had felt when I was born, because for so long she had been waiting for the Spirit of the Hero to appear again. I met Serenity then, too. After everything, Skylar apparently sent Serenity to find me and Tetra, so she could see the world and do something for it, rather than hiding out in the Forest Haven for the rest of time. That way she could help protect New Hyrule.”

“Okay...but...how do we know we’ll find an answer to Tear and Four’s conditions in that Era?”

“Well, according to Serenity...The Hero of Time killed his Dark. Which, you’re not supposed to do, contrary to popular legend. Killing your Dark is literally killing half of your soul, which is then replaced by the Shadows that once made up that Dark. He did that, and was going to die, but...A Light Spirit healed him. At least….that’s what the legend says. Serenity isn’t very sure about that one, and apparently even Skylar was never sure about it.”

“Well, obviously it at least bought him time.”

“Right. You’ve met him recently, so...I guess that’s your answer. It’ll at least buy those two time until we can find a more permanent solution.”

“We?”

“Yeah, ‘we’.” Torrent stands up, extending a hand to Warrior. “I’m coming with you.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Warrior takes his hand, using it to help him stand up. “What with all the work you’re doing here?”

“Rana will be coming back here after moving us, and Serenity, Tetra and Aryll are gonna be here. I think they’ll be just fine. I just have to ask Anjean permission to keep to Lokomo Sword with me.” Torrent crosses his arms, and for a moment, Warrior can’t believe this was the same tiny kid he once fought alongside. “You know, I hadn’t recognized you guys at first. But that stupid scarf is pretty hard to forget.”

“Fuck you.”

“Nah, I think Zoey’s got you covered for that, I got Serenity.” Torrent cackles, running off. He turns around, running backwards, and yells back. “Better hurry up! We’re gonna be leaving soon!”

Warrior sighs, looking down at the pin in his hands. He repins it to the sash over his chest, and walks back towards the castle. He stares up at the castle in front of him, and something feels wrong. “Not supposed to kill your Dark, huh? Then why didn’t anything happen to me?”

The image of Warrior walking rippled, and Vanity sighed, cupping his chin with his hand.

“Because you and I are a very special case, Link…” He sits back in his chair, staring up at the metal ceiling above him. “Very special, indeed.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rana stood in front of the group, hands clasped behind her back. Her scimitars were strapped across her back, the puffy white blouse embroidered with flowers a stark contrast to the gleaming black metal and orange metal. She looked over the group, and an uneasy air settled over them.

“Damn, stare at us any longer and we might burst into flames. Are we going or what?” DJ was the only one bold enough to speak up, earning a snort from Zoey. Rana’s eyes landed on the newest arrival, and smirked.

“Are all of you ready? Sky, are the Reflections in their Mirror?” Rana raised an eyebrow to Sky, who nodded, waving the small handheld mirror in his fingers. “Four. Are you still sure about going through?”

Four nodded, shifting the cloak around his shoulders. The shadow at his feet shifts, catching DJ’s eye. She huffs, crossing her arms.

“Can we just go now?”

“Why the rush, DJ? I’m moving you through Eras, it’s not like the time we leave really matters.” Rana stares at her, but DJ only stares back, her eyes like coals. Rana hums, turning on her heel. She raises a hand, an orb of blue and purple energy forming. She throws it forward, a ring of blue bordered by gold opening up a few feet in front of her. “You all will be brought into the field outside of Lon Lon Village. There’s a ranch up on a hill in the middle of it. Go up there, and ask for Malon, then explain your situation. She’s someone you can trust, and will likely know where your friends are. Be careful, though. You all need to be alert. That Era may be one of the most protected, but it is still one of the most targeted. Shadow Creatures like to lurk in the darker places of that land. So keep an eye out.” She turns back around, green eyes now a fierce blue. She steps to the side, extending her arm.

No one moves, unease still hovering over the group. DJ groans, stomping forward. “Y’all are pussies.” She walks through the portal with no hesitation, which spurs Zoey to follow her, and the rest soon follow.

Ravio stops near Rana, looking up at her. “You sure you don’t want to come with us after you get the kids? I think Tear would like to have you around…” His voice is quiet, and Rana smiles, brushing her knuckles against his cheek.

“ _Tear_ is a strong boy, and I think he’ll be just fine without me. You...can do that, too. You did fine on your own before, now you’re not alone. And Tear is going to need you, you can’t be scared to go off without me anymore.” Rana presses a kiss to Ravio’s temple, their hands intertwining. Ravio takes Rana’s left hand and kisses the back of it, his eyes settling on the silver band on her ring finger, matching his own. “And when this is all over...maybe we can finally do what we’ve been planning for the past _4 years.”_ They both laugh, and Rana lets go of his hands. “Come on. I’m still gonna walk you all through.”

When they passed through, it was like a ball of light enveloped them. This portal was much different than the ones that they all had been through before. It didn’t feel as if they were being ripped away from where they were. This one felt natural.

It felt okay.

Torrent stared above him, and in the rings of writhing light he could see pictures. Images of other times. Even pictures of himself.

_The face of his little sister when he held her for the first time._

_Him chasing a pig around the island._

_Giving Aryll her telescope._

Unfamiliar faces passed by as well.

_Red eyes streaked with blue. White hair whipping around his head as the earth beneath him was flooded._

_A man in green surrounded by a ball of light, silver rings floating around him. A pale hand pressing against his face, before it disappeared._

_A wheel of four colors in a young child’s eyes as they tried to lift a large shield that felt oddly familiar._

Finally, he stepped out, the images fading. It was quiet. The wind barely blew, and the sounds of birds began to creep in, and Torrent opened his eyes to a world filled with green. Even after having found New Hyrule, he still wasn’t used to worlds with so many trees and animals. A ways in front of the group were a couple houses, surrounding a large hill with a fence around the top of it. A horse was making its way towards them, and Rana’s voice shouted over the group.

“I have to leave now. You all know what to do.” She waves, turning back towards the portal. She ruffles Tear’s hair as she leaves, and the portal disappears after she steps through.

“Well,” Warrior sighs, fixing his scarf, “welcome to the Era of the Hero of Time everyone.”

The horse stops, a young girl with long black hair staring down at them. “Now who could y’all be? We ain’t heard of any groups like you coming through the caravan route. Y’all lookin’ for something?”

“Ah, yes.” Warrior steps forward. “We’re looking for a Miss Malon? We were told to come to the big hill here in the field to find her.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s my mama. Name’s Cremia. Y’all just follow me, I’ll take ya to her. Be mindful, though. The villagers aren’t too fond of newcomers who are all heavily armed. But if you keep to yourselves and are respectful I think they’ll be just fine.” Cremia turns the horse around, and begins to slowly trot forward ahead of the group.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mama!! We got some **_navis_ **here!” Cremia yells, before cantering off on the horse, leaving the group at the entrance to the ranch. Soon enough, a woman comes out of the barn near the entrance.

“ **_Navigators?_ ** Surprising, we don’t get many of those...How can I help you?” The woman wipes her hands off on a small brown rag, then slings it over her shoulder. Her fiery red hair was set in a long braid, a bandanna around her head that was embroidered with a pattern that was vaguely familiar to Warrior, who again was the first to step forward.

“Are you Miss Malon? We were told you could help us find some lost companions of ours...Um, one of them goes by ‘Link’?” Warrior’s words gain a snort from Tear, though the captain ignores it.

Malon gives him a suspicious look, then nods. “Yes, I know him. But might I ask why navigators are looking for him?”

“Navigators?”

“Suspicious travelers. As in, travelers who just pop up in the middle of Hyrule Field through a big ole portal.” Malon slowly crosses her arms, and Warrior takes a moment to realize just how much more muscle mass she had than him. He clears his throat.

“Ahem...we’re...friends of Link. We got separated recently. And a friend of one of our group members was able to get us here. We just need to find him, we want to make sure he and any people that might have been with him are okay.”

“What’s your name, boy?” Malon stares Warrior down, who shifts slightly on his feet.

“Excuse me?”

“Your name.”

“Ah, uh...Some of them call me ‘Warrior’, ‘Knight’...One of the younger ones called me ‘Mr. Eyeliner’....a few times…”

“I asked your name, not the goofy nicknames they give you.” Her eyes felt as if they were drilling a hole in Warrior’s head, and he cleared his throat again, and his hand drifted toward his mouth, picking at his lips.

“Lmmn....” He mumbled, and Malon raised an eyebrow.

“Come again? I can’t exactly hear you when you got your hand over your mouth.”

Warrior quickly put his hand down, and by now the entirety of the group was staring at him, waiting for his next move.

“I said my name is Link. As is a few others in this group…”

“How many of the people here are named Link?”

Torrent, Sky and Four raise their hands. Four looks to Tear, but he doesn’t seem to be paying attention to any of the events transpiring, so he simply shakes his head.

“Thought so...well, our Link is in his home village right now. But he’s going to be coming here in a few hours, so just give it a little while and you’ll get to see him. He’ll be bringing his wife along and, knowing him, I’m sure that’s the only thing he ever talked about if y’all really did travel together.” Malon chuckles. “Sorry to put you on the spot, Warrior. We’ve had some...unfortunate happenings recently, so we’ve been a bit more cautious than usual.” She slaps her hand down on his shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly. She laughs, waving the group over. “Come on, now, I can get you settled in the sidehouse, it should have plenty beds.” Warrior rubbed his shoulder, and Zoey hooked her arm through his, pulling him along.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, you’re the Hero of Winds?” Ray and Torrent shake hands. “Skylar’s mentioned you a few times. Vaguely, since she’s not really supposed to tell me about the future, but...enough. Great to meet you.”

“Y...you too. I’ve...heard so many legends about you, it’s kinda surreal to meet you in person. You’re….shorter than I expected. Still really tall, but…” Torrent coughs nervously, still shaking Ray’s hand.

“Fair enough.” Ray pulls his hand away, looking over the group. “Where are the kids?”

“Rana’s picking them up, they should be here soon.” Ravio answered, his arm wrapped around Tear’s shoulders.

“Rana?”

“My...fiancee…She can move through Eras at will.”

“Ah...well, congratulations, for one...and for two...Why is it that this Era is the one y’all are gonna congregate in? Why not...pick up Gloam and Ty and...go somewhere else?”

“Link…” Zorana frowns at Ray, putting her hands on her hips. Ray raises his hands up.

“What? Why is this Era the one that needs to have a mass gathering of heroes and goddesses?”

“Well, it’s possible this Era could help us with Four and Tear’s conditions-” Warrior starts, but Ray cuts him off.

“‘Conditions’? Wait, I knew Four had something but what’s wrong with Tear?”

The group goes silent. Tear stares at Ray, his hands digging into Ravio’s arm. Ravio breathed in shakily, wrapping his other arm around Tear.

“He was attacked by a Pitch. A Dark. And it’s getting worse very quickly….” Ravio ran his hands through Tear’s hair, the teen not taking his eyes off of Ray. Ray shifted on his feet as an old feeling of dread washed over him.

“There’s an old legend about this Era….” Torrent steps forward again, wringing his hands. “That...when the Hero of Time was an adult...he fought against the Dark counterpart of himself...And...apparently you’re not supposed to do that. It’s like...killing half of your soul, to kill your Dark. And he did...You did.” Ray clenched his fists, but stayed quiet as Torrent spoke. “It was said that the Infection he...you...gained from killing your Dark was healed by a Light Spirit… Maybe the same can be done for Four and Tear.”

Ray breathed in and out slowly, and Zorana’s hand rested on his arm. She looked over the group, her eyes landing on Four. “You...Four, right?” Four nodded. Zorana stepped towards him, letting go of Ray. She bent down to eye level with him, holding his face in her hands. She tilted his head to the left, brushing his hair back. Deep black cracks marred the base of his neck and beneath his ear. Four’s shadow shifted in its place on the ground, catching Zorana’s eye.

“Who is the one that sits in your shadow, Four?” Zorana turns his head to the other side, and Four snorts.

“Shadow. Literally. Sometimes I call him Rose, but...usually Shadow. He’s the Dark of the previous Four Sword wielder.” Four glances at his shadow on the ground, which went still as soon as it was mentioned.

“What happened to yours, dear?”

Four sighed, staring off to the side. Zorana hummed, letting go of Four. “I see...Well…” She looks over at Tear. “Come here, sweetheart.” She takes a step towards Tear, who jolts back into Ravio. She stops, raising her hands. “Hey, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Tear stares at her, but doesn’t make a move to run again. Zorana slowly approaches, gently pulling down the collar of his shirt to look for any marks. “Where are they the worst?”

Ravio clears his throat, holding onto Tear’s shoulders. “Um...his thighs, stomach and back.” Zorana whips her head up to look at Ravio, horror in her eyes. She looks back down at Tear, who is staring back at her, a blank look on his face.

“Well, I suggest we take them to Ordon Spring in the south. There is in fact a Light Spirit there that might be able to tell us if there’s a way to fix this, or at least some way to give them more time until we do.”

“So,” Sky steps up, his face no longer holding the sick pale tone it had in New Hyrule, “where are Gloam and Ty?”

“They’re back in Kokiri Forest. We’ll bring them here later, they were asleep when we left.” Ray stands with his arms crossed, staring back in the direction of the forest.

“Wait, it’s the middle of the day, why are those two asleep? I mean, I’d have an excuse, but it’s surprising that those two would be sleeping this late in the day.” Four chuckles, leaning on his sword.

“They were both up late. Skylar said she could hear noise coming from both of their rooms, but they never came out.”

“Nightmares?”

“Probably.” Ray sighed. “It’s not any of my business though. If y’all wanna ask them yourselves, you can.” He turns on his heel, walking towards the pasture without another word.

“What’s up with him?” Ravio questions, watching Ray’s retreating form.

“He...isn’t exactly happy about all of this.” Zorana answers, folding her hands in front of her. “He wasn’t happy about getting pulled out of our home and leaving me by myself. And he certainly isn’t happy that your group seems to be congregating here. He really just wants to go back to the way things were, and not have to be on another adventure. Especially now…”

“I mean, that’s understandable. But I’ll admit, I’m surprised he’d be _this_ upset. Most of us aren’t exactly happy about this, but...you know. Being a hero...this is what it’s all about, right?” Four scratches at a spot under his right ear, a confused look on his face.

“Well, the main thing is that he was upset he got separated from me.”

“Wait….WAIT ARE YOU ZORANA?!” Four screeches, causing himself to cough, Warrior instinctively grabbing Four’s shoulders to steady him.

“Oh!” Zorana laughs. “Yes, I am. I’m guessing he’s talked about me?”

“You’re the only thing he ever DID talk about. He rarely spoke when he was with us, unless it was about you. Talking about you was the only time he spoke at length. I think Gloam and Lucas were the only ones that really managed to get anything out of him any other time.”

“Lucas?” Zorana narrows her eyes at the name.

“One of our younger group members. Lucasari. He’s from the tail end of all the timelines, along with Aoife and Sean. They’re the ones we’re still waiting for.”

“Lucasari...Is he...Gerudo?”

“Yes, he is.”

“I see. Sorry, it’s just...Luca is my sister’s name, and that name along with other derivatives of it are considered very holy and special names. It’s always surprising to hear others with the name. The name itself means ‘golden dragon’, and is a reference to the Sand Goddess of Gerudo legend.”

“That’s so cool!” Sky beams, leaning forward. “I’m from the Era of the Sky, I don’t know if you know of it. But I’m from the start of all of this, so I know _nothing_ of the new cultures that form. Do you think you could tell me about it?”

Zorana snickers, nodding. “Of course. For now, though, let’s go down to the village mess hall and get something to eat. I’m sure you all are hungry from jumping portals so much.” She waves the group along, leading them down the hill.

DJ and Zoey trailed in the back of the group, having stayed away from the conversations, and Zorana.

“She gives me a weird feeling.” DJ mutters, causing Zoey to raise an eyebrow at her.

“Why is that?”

“She just….looks familiar.”

“Well, you and her look oddly similar. The eyes, hair, even voice. You’re much more crude than she is, but you have the same tones.”

“I guess so…”

“Have you remembered anything yet? You’ve been very quiet, I was hoping that meant you were thinking of something.”

DJ goes silent, her arms crossed over her chest. Zoey looks at her expectantly.

_“Yes, I did.”_

**_~_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter till the end of the prologue!!!!! Reflection and HBNNF chapters don't count towards that XD BUT I'M SO EXCITED!!! I have a couple more people to introduce for the main arc, which will happen in the next HB chapter, as well as the kids getting to the Era of the Hero of Time. They were supposed to get into the Era this chapter, but it just didn't work out and the chapter was getting long .<. After the next chapter, things will be slowing down IMMENSELY as I work to get the first season set up. A very wonderful friend of mine will be helping me with it as well, which I'm excited for, so I hope you all are excited too!!! ANYWAYS...
> 
> Stay crazy, my Lovely Proxies~!!!
> 
> Creator Twitchy out~


	26. Breaking Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prologue Finale~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prologue has ended!!!!  
> Season 1 will start sometime this summer hopefully. I'm gonna be hopefully looking for a job soon though, so we'll see how quickly it'll come out, and I have a lot to do to get set up. So....
> 
> Stay crazy, my Lovely Proxies~!!!
> 
> Creator Twitchy out~

_**You can’t trust them you know? They are just going to leave you all alone...Just like he did.  
** _

_Shut up._

_**Why? You know I’m right. You can’t trust any of them. The only one you might be able to trust would be that shackled little dog. What do you call him? Gloam? Yes, that one...He could even be useful for something. Other than inflating your ego of course.** _

_You are not using him for anything._

_**You don’t exactly have a say in it.** _

_Just shut up already!_

_**No. You’re stuck with me now. You’re going to break down, and continue breaking down, until I have put you in just the right place to finally be useful for something. You’re my little puppet now, Sean.** _

_I won’t let you hurt them._

_**You can’t stop me. Now pay attention. Your friends are trying to speak to you.** _

“Sean! Good Hylia, are you awake?!” Aoife snaps her fingers in front of Sean’s face, as he finally meets her eyes.

“Yeah. Sorry...Just thinking about something.” He sniffs, breathing in shakily. “What is it? What’s happening?”

“Well, we’re about to leave. You’ve literally missed this entire thing.” Aoife points behind her, and a head of fiery red hair enters Sean’s line of sight.

“Hello, Sean. I’m Rana. I’m going to be taking you all to see your friends again.” Rana smiles gently at him, and a surge of energy causes Sean to quickly stand up.

“Wait...our friends...You mean Gloam and them? We’re going to see them?” Sean grabs the satchel that was on the cot beside him, rummaging through it as he checked to make sure everything was still there.

Rana chuckles. “Yes. They’re in the Era of the Hero of Time currently, I’m going to be taking you there. I’m a bit surprised you don’t wish to just go home. Though the other group didn’t want to either.” She turns to look at Aoife again, who just shrugs.

“It’s not like we can, anyways. Whatever took us out of our homes clearly wants us in a certain place. And if we just tried to get back home, it would probably pull us out again. We need to figure out why we were taken in the first place, and what the hell is going on. Plus, I still owe it to Gloam to help him figure out a way to help his world. Most of the group does at this point.” She sighs, crossing her arms.

“Gloam...Who is he, anyways? What Era is he from?” Sil questions, her hands drifting towards her mouth as she starts to pick at her lips, prompting Fissure to grab her wrist and pull it back down.

“I think it was called the Era of Twilight? He doesn’t really talk much about it, but from what little I’ve heard from him, that’s what it sounds like. His title was something like ‘The Chained Hero’. Probably because of the shackle around his neck.” Aoife shrugs again. Sil hums, staring at the ground. Aoife raises an eyebrow at her. “Why?”

“Oh, nothing, it’s just….That Era...I’ve been told one of my ancestors is from it.”

“Probably the princess from that Era. Gloam has mentioned there is a Zelda there. He’s only met her once though.”

“Probably…”

Wild claps his hands, getting everyone’s attention. “Welp! If you’re all ready, I’m sure your friends are waiting to see you’re alright.”

Lucas nods, resituating the strap on his chest. “Thank you all for the extra clothes, too. It’s not very fun to run around in voe armor all the time, especially when you aren’t in the desert.”

“HaHA! I GET THAT!!” Wild cackles, causing Sil and Fissure to chuckle. “Maybe we’ll all meet again. Honestly, joining you guys sounds super fun, but there’s simply too much to do here. But if you were brought to this Era for a reason, I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”

“I will most definitely be seeing you all again sometime. Us Darks have a weird way of always getting involved with these kinds of situations, so I’m sure I’ll be dragged in eventually.” Fissure snickers, shaking hands with Lucas. Lucas nods, smiling.

“I’m sure. Hey, speaking of Darks, where’d Saoirse go?”

“She has a habit of disappearing. Don’t worry about her.” Fissure waves it off. Lucas hums, then gasps.

“Wait, I have an idea!” He digs in his bag, before pulling out a leather string with a small round piece of metal on it. The blue lines on it seemed to glow, and Lucas handed it to Fissure. “If you guys need anything, or need help, you can call us from this.” He pulls out a second one, this one with green lines, and hands it to Rana. “And since Miss Rana is always moving through Eras, I’m sure it’ll be useful to her, too.”

Rana stares at the piece of metal, running it between her fingers. “Thank you, Lucas. It would definitely help, and it would allow me to respond faster.” Lucas smiles, and starts to jump up and down.

“Okay! Let’s go, then! I’m sure the others are worried about us. We are some of the youngest of the group, and knowing Gloam and the knight they’ll have been losing their heads over us.”

“Gloam is a mother hen, but I think he knows we’re fine. Mr. Eyeliner, however, yeah I’m sure he’s been running around like a chicken with its head cut off.” Aoife snickers.

“Let’s go, then.” Rana turns on her heel, leading the trio out of the castle. Wild waves to them, Lucas waving back.

Sean sighs, clutching the strap of his satchel as he walked.

_**You can’t trust them, Sean.** _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Okay, but Rana’s been gone awhile! What if something happened, and she couldn’t find the kids? Or something happened to the kids?!” Warrior paced back and forth, Sky and Gloam sharing a look as he did so.

“Warrior, I’m sure they’re fine. It’s only been a few hours. It’s going to take a little longer than a few hours for her to get to that Era, especially with how far away it is. Ravio said she’ll likely be back sometime later tonight.” Sky holds back a chuckle at the sight of the captain, his scarf whipping every which way as he keeps turning and pacing.

“Look, we’re all worried, but for now, all we can do is wait. Rana is going to get them, they’ll be safe and sound. Those three are stronger than you think, Warrior.” Gloam leans on the table, tipping his chair onto its front two legs.

“You’re not the least bit worried about Sean?” Warrior stops, giving Gloam a knowing look. Gloam’s face goes red, and he turns his head, scoffing.

“No, I’m not. Because that little terror would rip the eyes out of whatever tried to hurt Lucas or Aoife, and he’s a Sheikah, too. He is not something to be fucked with. His elder brother was the Knight of Aoife before; he grew up with the training, on top of being the apprentice of his Kakariko’s chief. I am not worried about that brat _at all.”_

Warrior hums, raising an eyebrow at Gloam, as a mischievous smile works its way onto his face.

“Don’t you fucking look at me like that, _Mr. Eyeliner._ I get it, Sean is always on top of me whenever he’s around, but I don’t need you giving me googly eyes about it.” Gloam presses his hand against his face, blocking his view of Warrior.

“Okay, _buuttt..._ You gotta admit…” Warrior grins at him.

“Admit what?”

“You two are pretty cute. Though the size difference is a little concerning…” Sky muses, “...I mean… How would that work?”

“OH YOU PERVERTED OLD MAN!!” Gloam grabs the boot by his chair and throws it at Sky, earning a cackle from Sky and Warrior. “I’M NOT EVEN INTO THAT KIND OF STUFF! QUIT THAT!!” Gloam’s face is bright red, as he grits his teeth at the two elder heroes.

“Anyways…” Warrior laughs, “Sky, didn’t you say Rana had checked in on the girls? How are they?”

“They’re good! Navi’s been a pretty easy baby, surprisingly. Ciela was an absolute terror when she was a baby. Groose was very worried that Navi was gonna be like Ciela, who loved pulling his hair and what little beard he had at the time, as she still does. Ciela’s the reason why Groose was never able to grow out a beard like he was wanting to, but maybe now he can. Navi’s already getting so big, and it’s only been a couple weeks.” Sky gains a dreamy-eyed look, cupping his chin with his hand.

“You know, Tear’s started calling your Zelda ‘Hera’. I think it’s some Timorine goddess.” Sky gives Warrior a confused look. “Ah, Timori is the neighboring country to Tear’s Hyrule. She’s apparently the wife of the king of the gods, and is like, the goddess of women, marriage, etc. I don’t really know much, Timori was wiped out years before my Era, so a lot of the myths and legends are lost now. I’m sure we’ll be meeting plenty of Zeldas, if everything keeps going like it is, so we could probably rely on him coming up with nicknames.” Warrior shifts his scarf back into place as he takes a seat in the third chair at the table.

“Hera...That’s very pretty, I’m sure she’d like it. Plus it’d be easier to say that than having to always specify.” The trio falls into a comfortable silence, before Gloam speaks up again.

“Do you think those two will be alright? Tear and Four? Zorana and Ray took them to the Spring, but who knows if it’ll work? I know Ordona, I lived right next to her spring my whole life, I’m sure she can do something, but…” Gloam picks at his nails nervously.

“They’re both strong kids. Even if Ordona can’t completely heal them, I’m sure she can find a way to help them. Neither of them are gonna go down without a fight. They’re still Links, so they’ll be just fine.” Warrior offers Gloam a smile, but Gloam keeps his eyes on his nails, and nods.

“Yeah, the name Link always seems to be given to the ones most likely to fistfight a god, so I’m sure they’ll be alright.” A familiar snarky tone chuckles from the doorway, and Gloam notices Warrior go rigid, a snarl tugging its way onto his face.

The captain barely turns his head, throwing a sideways glance to Tyrant, who was currently leaning on the doorframe of the parlor the trio sat in.

“Was wondering where you all were, since you weren’t in the mess hall anymore. The witch’s been looking for ya, _Soldier.”_ Ty shoves his hands into his pockets, shooting a grin at Warrior, who scoffed, turning his head back to stare ahead of him. Sky raises his eyebrows, making various noises as he stands up from his chair.

“Well...I was just chatting, but uh...probably gonna….go eat now. Gloam! You wanna...join me?” Sky shares a look with Gloam, his eyes darting from Ty to Warrior multiple times. Gloam barely holds back a snicker, and nods.

“Yeah, sure! Uh...talk to ya later, _Soldier.”_ Gloam cackles, patting Warrior’s shoulder, who let out an annoyed sigh.

Ty bumps Gloam’s shoulder as he walks past, Gloam throwing a thumbs-up to him as he and Sky run off down the hall, cackling. Ty shakes his head, walking over to the table. He snatches the green hat off of Warrior’s head, easily dodging his attempts at taking it back. He sits down in the chair across from him, settling the hat on his own head.

“Hm...haven’t worn an ugly rag like this in a long time. Still looks as stupid as ever.” Ty looks at Warrior with a wicked grin, the captain gripping the edge of the table, his nails digging into the wood.

“The hell do you want, _Tyrant?”_

“Just to talk, _**Soldier.**_ Why so hostile?”

“Because you’re annoying and I don’t exactly like you.”

“Why, because you’ve heard of me from the white-haired witch?”

“No, because you’re a dick.”

“Fair enough.” Ty cackles, kicking his feet up on the table and tipping his chair back on its hind legs. He crosses his arms, the end of the hat swinging slightly behind him. “So what’s the two of you’s deal? You her bitch or what?”

“What, like you were?”

“Mmm...see she’s real good at that. Manipulating all who cross her path into believing she’s some saint. Some lovely little being full of love...but really she’s just a witch full of Malice that wants to tear your soul out of your body, and nothing more.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Ain’t gotta. But one day, you’ll see. She’s not what she appears to be.”

“What about you, then? Are you not what you appear to be?”

“Oh no, I’m a fucking asshole. I’m not unaware. I just have the ability to admit I’m terrible, unlike her. I can admit to the fucked up shit I’ve done. She can’t do that, she won’t let herself admit she’s done some pretty terrible shit. But what about _you, **Soldier?**_ What terrible, fucked up shit have you done that none of us have seen?” Ty leans forward, resting his arms on the table. “You’re the captain of an army, right? You’ve been in a huge war. Two of em. What have you done that put blood on that pretty face?”

“Pretty face? Interesting word choice.”

“I’m nothing if not blunt, Soldier. You’re very pretty.” Ty smirks, earning another snarl from the captain.

“Why do you keep calling me that?”

“What?”

“‘Soldier.’ No one calls me that, even if it probably fits more than the other nicknames.”

“Well, it fits don’t it? So why not?”

“I don’t like the way you say it.”

“You want me to say it a different way?”

“I’d rather you not say it all.”

“Hmm...We both know that won’t happen.”

“You are so annoying.”

“And you are fucking adorable.”

Warrior sputters, bumping his hands on the table. “Why do you have to be like that?! You insult me, then insult someone I care about, then turn right around and flirt with me?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!”

Ty shrugs, pulling the hat off of his head, and chucking it at Warrior. “Who knows, man? Maybe…” He stands up, walking around to Warrior’s side of the table. He grabs the edge of the table, resting a hand on the back of Warrior’s chair. He leans close to Warrior’s ear, a grin working its way onto his face again. “...I just like ya.” He moves back again, snickering at the look on Warrior’s face. He squishes the captain’s cheek with one hand. “I mean, who could resist that pretty little face?”

Warrior bats his hand away, and Ty cackles as he quickly turns to leave the room. “The witch is waiting for ya up on the Ranch. Might wanna go see her soon.” He throws him a two-fingered salute, and disappears into the hall.

 _“Well, it seems like someone might like the tyrant…”_ A voice chittered from Warrior’s left. He glanced at his shield, and two small dots of black appeared in the reflection of the metal.

 **“Shut it, Rook.”** Warrior hissed at the gaunt face that appeared in the metal, as two clawed hands gripped the edges of the shield, and a head of messy blonde hair started to come out.

Pitch black eyes peeked at Warrior, and a giggle emitted from the skinny little creature that crawled out of the shield. “Funny that a _soldier_ would fall for a _tyrant.”_

“I said, shut up. I haven’t fallen for anyone.” Warrior turned, glaring at the now-empty chair in front of him. Rook’s head brushed up against Warrior’s arm.

“Liar.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“HOLY SHIT YOU GOT HUGE!!!” Shadow shouts, grunting when Rinku picks him up. “Oh my Fayra, I remember when you were just a tiny little Pitch that never stopped running off, you almost got that Sword Spirit killed so many damn times!” Rinku laughs, hugging Shadow tight.

“You’re still the exact same size you’ve always been.” Rinku snickers, finally letting Shadow down. “What name do you use now?”

“Shadow. You?”

“Rinku or Rai. Zo and SK usually call me Rinku, Link and Luca call me Rai.”

“Rai, huh? That name can mean either ‘prince’ or ‘timid’, so it definitely fits you.”

“Oh fuck you.”

“I practically raised you, so nah.”

Rinku scoffs, bumping Shadow’s arm. Ray is watching the exchange with a frown, fitfully picking at his lips, which begin to bleed. Rinku glances back at him, and quickly moves toward him to pull his hand away from his mouth.

“Link, you’re making your mouth bleed. Quit that.” The Dark pulls a small red cloth from his back pocket, pushing it into Ray’s hand, who then presses it against the bloodied spot on his lips. Rinku pushes himself up onto the table Ray is sitting at, and continues his conversation with Shadow, while Ray quietly seethes.

“How exactly do you two know each other?” Ray says, trying not to sneer. Rinku raises an eyebrow at him, noticing the bitter tone, but doesn’t say anything.

“Well, in the Dark World, when a new Dark is created, they form in these big glass containers called Creation Tanks, or Creation Vats. Usually, when a Dark comes out of them, they break the Tank and run off, so whoever is in the area when they escape has to run after them. The one who was usually in charge of that got knocked out by this crazy kid, but I was able to find him and bring him back before that person got in trouble.” Shadow snickers, smiling fondly at the memories. “He was a weird case. Usually Darks are formed hundreds of years before their Light is even born, but he entered his tank only about a year before you were born. He escaped on the day of your birth, and is consequently one of the youngest Darks in existence right now. Most of us are thousands of years old, he’s only what? 25? Ended up in the Light World before he could even speak properly.”

“Hm….” Ray’s leg began to shake, and Rinku gave him a concerned look.

“Uh, Shadow, we’ll talk later.” Rinku sent a knowing look Shadow’s way, who in turn nodded and gave a two-fingered salute.

“I gotta check on Four anyways. See ya.”

As Shadow left, Rinku hopped off the table, and slid onto the bench attached to it, sitting next to Ray. Ray didn’t meet his eyes, instead staring down at the red cloth in his hands, fitfully pulling at the ends of the fabric.

“What’s going on with you?” Rinku’s voice was low, almost a whisper. He propped his chin on Ray’s shoulder, pushing a stray piece of hair back behind his ear. “Hm?”

“Just...I don’t even want these people here. I never wanted to go on another bullshit ‘adventure’ and have to leave you and Zorana and the others all alone. It’s bad enough there are still old Ganon supporters that have been going after caravans and threatening civilians, we don’t need terrors from other worlds and Eras coming here. I was just fine with being here with you guys, not going on some new world-saving quest. I don’t want them here!” Ray grit his teeth, his nails digging into the red fabric in his hands. Rinku stared at him, and sighed.

“I know.” He turns his head so that his cheek is pressed against Ray’s shoulder, looping his arm through Ray’s. “But there’s not much we can do. Whatever took you did it for a reason, I don’t think you’ll be able to get out of this so easily, just because you managed to make it back here.”

“Fairy’s been acting up.”

“Has he?”

“He’s yelling a lot more. Shaking the mirrors above the sink whenever I pass by them. Just throwing a fit every chance he gets, then goes silent for days.”

“Hm...I don’t really know what to tell you about that...My Reflection isn’t exactly around anymore.”

“I know, I don’t expect you to have answers for that. I just have to wait for him to tell me himself. How’s Luca holding up? She’s been holed up in y’all’s room for a while now.”

“She’s alright. It’s almost time for her and her sisters to visit their dad. She always gets weird around that time.”

“Right, shit. I forgot about that.”

“Zo wants to bring the Navis to meet him. At least, the ones that have technically met him before.”

Ray chokes, whipping his head to look at Rinku in shock, causing the Dark to flinch and rear his head back. “What?! Why?! Oh, sorry…”

“It’s okay. She said she wants to show them that he’s not as bad as they think he is. I don’t really get it either. Like, I know he isn’t completely what people think he is, but...It’s not like taking people who’ve been horribly wronged by him to _go meet him_ is gonna do any good. It’s not gonna change their minds. At least I don’t think it will.”

“Yeah, no shit it’s not gonna do any good! What is she thinking?!” Ray groans, placing his face in his hands. “I swear, I am not in the mood for any of this. She can do what she wants.”

“I’ll go with them to make sure nothing bad happens, if you’d like. Chaperone.”

“Please...I don’t have the emotional energy to even see that man’s face. I would appreciate it.”

“Okay…” Rinku puts his head back on Ray’s shoulder, sighing.

Frantic footsteps interrupt the sparse conversations across the mess hall, as Gloam suddenly bolts out of his seat and sprints out of the open doors of the building. Ray and Rinku both turn, staring out the doors to watch as Gloam picks up the newly-arrived Sean into his arms. A whistle sounds from Sky a few tables away as the hall erupts into laughter and cheers. Aoife and Lucas both enter the mess hall, chuckling and looking back at Gloam now running off with Sean in his arms.

Tear was the first to approach Aoife, quickly engaging in conversation with her, while Lucas moved to get something to eat. Ravio ran out to speak with Rana before she left, and soon Aoife, Lucas and Tear all sat at the other end of the long table that Ray and Rinku sat at.

“I don’t know what it is, but Lucas looks so familiar. Apparently, people tell him he looks like Ganondorf, but I don’t really see it. There’s something else there.” Ray whispers to Rinku, glancing at the kids.

“Actually, he kinda looks like you. He’s even got the nose and weirdly long lower eyelashes on his right eye.” Rinku snorted at the glare he got from Ray. “Speaking of big noses and weird eyelashes, you know who else looks like you? Gloam.”

“Yeah, I noticed that actually. I overheard him talking to Ty about this Era being the one he was supposed to grow up in, too.”

“Maybe he’s your future son.”

“Ha! I doubt that...but we could be related. It’s possible. Apparently this Era is literally only a few decades before his, so he could very well be part of my family. But I’m not going to bring that up to him. If he decides to say something, he can do so on his own terms.”

“Mm…” Rinku hums. “Why do you think you all got separated? You ultimately ended up here, do you think that was planned?”

“Maybe? I don’t see why whoever’s doing this would separate us just to bring us back together.”

“Maybe they had to put you in smaller groups so they could do something without there being as many people. Like get to certain people without as much resistance.”

“That’s a bit specific…”

“Just seems like something a Dark Dweller would do. Plus, a few of these people were clearly targeted specifically.”

“How do you know it’s a Dark Dweller?”

“I just...have a feeling.” Rinku’s eyes scanned the room, before he leaned closer to Ray again, whispering. “The shadows are stronger than anything I’ve ever seen. I know I’m not exactly well-versed in this like other Darks, but not even the shadows that follow Luca around are like this. It’s like there’s...this residue on everyone. I feel like whatever made those portals is from the Dark World.”

“Hm…” Ray looks around the room, sighing. “Who knows? Honestly, I don’t want to deal with any of this. I just want to be here with you and the others and just….chill out for once.”

“Yeah, I know...But you’ve still got stuff to do. I guess the Goddess isn’t finished with you yet.” Ray sighs at Rinku’s words, leaning his head against Rinku’s and staring out the window on the other side of the room.

“Guess not.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are they all there now?” Mali stands with his arms crossed, looking up at the large scepter. The blades at the end were spread out, like a lotus flower’s petals, with the glowing orb in the middle letting off sparks. “How soon until it starts?”

“We still have to wait for the Hero of Two Worlds to darken a bit more. The little Sheikah is still fighting against his brother’s dark, so we may have to wait for that. But the scepter’s almost completely powered up. Where is your sister?” Vanity taps away at a small tablet in his arms, looking back and forth between it and the scepter.

“Probably on her way back. Let’s hope she did what was asked of her, since we never can see her when she leaves the Dark World.”

“Perks of being the daughter of Fayra, I guess. Can only be seen when she wants to be. Where’s the Sword?”

“Resting. The Engineer’s Pitch really did a number on him, and he was still recovering from Purga’s outburst.”

“I’m surprised a being made of holy metal can be so affected by such a small ice spirit.”

Mali scoffs. “Purga is definitely more than just a little ice spirit. He’s weirdly powerful for a _Catul,_ like Lepus was.”

“He’s still not near as much as what the **Caelic** was.”

“Nobody will ever be what he was. But the **Caelic** didn’t attack Ghirahim and break his damn leg like it was glass. Purga is getting stronger. He’s already surpassed Wraith, who is one of our strongest _Catuls_ , so we need to keep an eye on him.”

Vanity sighs, nodding. “Alright. We can put some of the _Caligas_ around his room when we let him out of the Catacombs. Speaking of, I need to go down there in a minute.”

“What, and talk to Hylia’s little bitch like you always do?”

Vanity tenses, barely turning his head to look at Mali. The prince scoffed, placing his hands on his hips.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t know you have a whole treasure trove of impossibly powerful beings stuck away in a hidden part of the Catacombs? I used to live down there, Vanity. The fact that you have the first hero down there isn’t what I’m annoyed about though. I’m more annoyed that you have that piece of a God down there.” Mali snarled, crossing his arms again.

“Trigis’s piece will be useful. Plus, that shard is the only way we can keep the Scepter working. It’s made to not work outside of Lorule without a blessed Wielder nearby. So having a piece of Lorule’s God in our dungeon is a bit necessary for now, since we can’t exactly get to Kane, and Ravioren is too much of a pussy to be of any use. And to answer to your question, yes. I offered Satus a deal.”

“What deal?”

“Get the heiress for us, and he can be free.”

“Ah yes, get the heiress and he can finally die after tens of thousands of years.”

“Correct.”

Mali huffs, looking back up at the scepter. “Fine...Do you think he’ll take it?”

“I guess we’ll see. We will keep a close eye on him and send him to one of the other groups. The veteran hero’s on the move, and I managed to get eyes on our escapee. Those two are in very close proximity, but haven’t met yet. The Engineer and his princess are on the move as well. I still don’t have eyes on the two Guardians running around with the Din heir. The Nayru heir is still in her regular Era, as is the Farore. That Hero of Men is starting to realize something’s happening as well, and I believe it might have something to do with the fact that their Pitch ran off recently, and I haven’t been able to find them.”

“Leno ran off? That’s surprising. They don’t usually leave their room. They’re very small, that’s not good.”

“Annie believes they might have run towards the Keepsake in the east. Apparently, they have a little friend there. But either way, the others are starting to move, and we have Pitches getting restless. Even Divir is starting to come out of their room.”

“Divir? That’s odd….Why are they all getting so restless?”

“Their Lights are going back on journeys. We haven’t noticed the change because we’re already moving around so much. But the Pitches that usually stay stagnant are noticing the surge of energy from their other halves going through trials again.”

“Hmm…Well, if the Anathema gets back, tell her to come see me. I need to do something. And tell me whatever Satus’s answer is, as well.”

“Alright.”

Mali turns on his heel, quickly leaving the lab. Vanity watches as he leaves, then turns back to look up at the orb on the scepter. He taps on the tablet, and the metal arms holding the scepter move, lifting it and laying it on its side. Vanity stares in the glowing orb, as images shift.

A low dim light begins to glow on the floor beneath Vanity. He sighs, his body tensing again. Pale, warm hands gently rest themselves on his shoulders, and the reflection of brown hair catches his eye in the metal of the scepter.

_“Things are going well. Good job, Luculen.”_

Just as quickly as the light appears, it’s gone, along with the hands. Vanity’s nails dig into the edges of the tablet, creating dents.

“Going well, huh?”

**_Whatever…_ **

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So what’s your plan, little kitten?” Brown eyes followed the small body of the Catul with an amused look.

“Find one of the groups Luculen is making. Take on the form of some random hero, find the chained one. Simple as that, Hex. What’s your plan for getting your little boyfriend and girlfriend back?” Faeles raised an eyebrow at the blonde man sitting a few feet from him.

Hex chuckled, shifting one leg to cross over the other. He shifted, moving so that the edge of his long ears didn’t press against the wall behind him. “I’m going to wait for that Infection of his to finally spread too far...then offer him a deal.”

“A deal, hm?”

“Yes. I can remove the Infection and he can live.”

“But what do you get out of it?”

“The Shadow that’s causing the Infection. Only the little hero won’t know about that part.”

“Hm...Complete your little collection of souls, huh?”

“Of course. I already have the Wind Mage, I just need the Catul that’s currently plaguing the hero’s souls.”

“Right...And why do you need me for that?” Faeles grabs his bag, throwing it over his shoulder. He ties his hair back with a pale pink ribbon, the soft color complimenting his dark brown curls.

“Well, with that special little ability of yours, you can keep me from being recognized, and, you could help me find the ones I’m looking for. I have a feeling that our targets could be in close proximity to each other.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Just a hunch.”

“Right, because your instincts are so reliable.”

“More reliable than most.”

“Fair enough.” Faeles sighed, his hand wrapped around the strap of his bag. “Are you ready to go?”

Hex smirks, standing up. The cape around his shoulders fluttered a bit as wind passed through the house. He looked up, staring at the charred wood and open sky visible through the destroyed roof. “Sure. Let’s go.” He walks ahead of Faeles, his eyes scanning over the decimated village. “Let’s hope no survivors are left. It’s always such a sad sight to watch the poor things look over the remains of what they had with such despair in their eyes.”

“You would know that look well, wouldn’t you?”

Hex hums, smiling. “Oh yes. Very well.”

A low, soft crying sound emitted from the debris of a house to their right, and Hex stops in his tracks, barely glancing to the side. The wind kicks up again, and his eyes shift to a bright green. The debris shifts, and soon a small child is raised out of it, and set on the ground in front of the duo. Hex approaches her, kneeling down on the ground.

“Hello, dear. Are you alright?” His voice is soft, gentle, surprising Faeles with how almost-genuine it sounds.

The girl is crying and shaking, refusing to look at Hex. He extends a hand to her, which she flinches away from. Hex’s eye twitches, but he keeps the facade up.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you.” The girl stares at him for a moment, before taking his hand. “There we are...What happened here, sweetheart?”

“The...the monster….A monster came...It was like a giant eyeball...but with wings on it. The eye was a bunch of colors...And it destroyed everything.” Sobs cut through every other word she tried to say, and Hex gave her a pitying look.

“Oh, you poor thing… Well there’s no need for you to suffer anymore. Don’t worry…” Hex cups the little girl’s face in his hands, and Faeles grimaced, turning away so that he wouldn’t have to see what Hex would do. A wet splatter sounded, a barely-audible whimper emitting from the little girl. “You’ll never have to suffer again.”

Faeles turned back, just as the brown vine that had shot up out of the ground removed itself from the child’s body. Hex gently laid the girl’s body on the ground, fixing her dress so that it covered her legs properly, and crossed her arms over her chest. A small flower bloomed on the bloodied vine, and Hex pulled it off, placing in the girl’s hair.

“Why would you do that?” Faeles scoffed, stepping over the child’s body.

“Do what?”

“Kill her then try to make her body look decent. With the damn flower and everything. I don’t understand that.”

“Just felt better than leaving her body crumpled in whatever way it fell. I did that with everyone I could get to, that’s why it took me so long to come back.”

“You’re weird, Hex.”

“So I’ve been told. My weirdness aside, do you really think you can find whoever this ‘chained hero’ is?”

“Yes. I do.”

“...Is he your Light?”

Faeles goes quiet, and Hex hums, chuckling. “Thought as much. No Dark would be so fixated on a hero unless they were theirs.”

“He’s not mine.”

“He’s not yours, or he’s not your Light?”

“He’s not mine.”

“You don’t claim him?”

“He may be my Light, but no. He is not mine.”

“I’ve never heard of a Dark not wishing to claim their Light.”

“Well, I’m different than most Darks in a lot of ways. Just add that to the list.”

Hex snickers, watching Faeles closely as he walks in front of him. Faeles grips the strap of his bag again, tightly.

**_He will never be mine. Just like Primor will never be yours again, Hex._ **

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

##  **_THE PROLOGUE HAS ENDED._ **

##  **_THE PROLOGUE HAS ENDED._ **

##  **_SEASON ONE WILL BEGIN SOON._ **

##  **_SEASON ONE WILL BEGIN SOON._ **

**_Would you like to save your game?_ **

**_-Yes_ **

**_-No_ **

**_→ Yes_ **

**_Would you like to return to the Title Screen?_ **

**_-Yes_ **

**_-No_ **

**_→ Yes_ **

****

****

##  **_Welcome to Hyrule-Bound, But Never Found!_ **

**_-Continue Game_ **

[ **_-New Game_ ** ](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1584427)

[ **_-Quit Game_ ** ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22011838/chapters/52528894)

[ **_-Soundtrack_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQKGUgOfD8U&list=PL1Y3tQakGibsnInECsITLhpKKPDekvpPj)

**_-[Masterlist](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1584427)_ **

[ **_-YOUSHOULDN’TLOOKHERE_ ** ](https://discord.gg/v62m52G)

[ **_-STOPTHAT_ ** ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23353768/chapters/55950082)

**_-???_ **

**_-???_ **

##  **_Thank you for playing~!!!_ **

**~~~~~**


End file.
